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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: club · stick · game · pass · swing · prune · pitcher · wax

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. prune — to trim
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. club — for golf
  5. game — a match
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. swing — music
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. club — for dancing
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pass — a permit
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wax — to grow
  21. club — a group
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pass — to spend time

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