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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fine — high quality
  3. suit — to fit
  4. track — a song
  5. tear — from crying
  6. swing — music
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. tear — from crying
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fine — all right
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. suit — clothes
  13. swing — in golf
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. swing — to play on
  17. tear — to rip
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. track — a path
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pass — a permit

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