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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bank — for money
  8. tube — a container
  9. field — for sport
  10. swing — in golf
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. swing — music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bank — for money
  16. field — farmland
  17. tube — the underground
  18. suit — in cards
  19. game — a match
  20. field — a subject
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. suit — to fit
  24. hide — to keep secret

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