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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. press — a publisher
  3. track — a path
  4. board — to get on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. board — a committee
  9. track — a song
  10. swing — music
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rash — a series
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rash — hasty
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. ball — a great time
  17. swing — to play on
  18. suit — in cards
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pop — soda
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rash — on the skin

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