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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.

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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: mouse · rash · row · press · swing · wax · chip · stock

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rash — a series
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. press — a publisher
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. press — to push
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stock — goods

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