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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.

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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. swing — music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. present — there
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wound — an injury
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. present — a gift
  14. swing — to play on
  15. tube — the underground
  16. swing — in golf
  17. tube — a container
  18. present — the time now
  19. wake — a trail
  20. file — a line of people
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. season — of the year

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