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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 120 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: cabinet · wax · ground · swing · pitcher · mark · pop · nail

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. swing — music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mark — a grade
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pop — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pop — soda

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