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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. tube — the underground
  5. swing — in golf
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. sharp — clever
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. tube — a container
  15. swing — music
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. march — music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. track — a path
  24. foot — a measure

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