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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. swing — music
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. club — a group
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. game — wild animals
  12. swing — to play on
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. club — for dancing
  16. firm — a company
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. firm — steady
  20. track — to keep track
  21. tube — a container
  22. swing — in golf
  23. club — for golf
  24. firm — decided

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