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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · file · racket · rock · chair · wax · swing · pitcher

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. swing — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. file — a tool
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rock — a stone
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. swing — to play on
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wax — to grow
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rock — music
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com