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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: ball · mine · wax · land · swing · cabinet · can · deal

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. deal — to handle
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ball — a great time
  6. can — to be able to
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. swing — music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. land — ground
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. can — a tin
  15. land — a country
  16. wax — to grow
  17. land — to come down
  18. mine — for digging
  19. ball — a dance
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. can — a tin
  24. swing — to play on

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