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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 116 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.

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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: march · chip · wax · row · swing · fork · bay · firm

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. firm — steady
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. row — a line
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. fork — in a road
  13. swing — in golf
  14. march — music
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. chip — for betting
  22. march — the month
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. march — the month

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