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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. march — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. press — newspapers
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. march — the month
  9. press — a publisher
  10. swing — music
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. track — a song
  13. stand — to bear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. press — to push
  19. wind — moving air
  20. track — a path
  21. saw — the tool
  22. swing — to play on
  23. march — the month
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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