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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. march — the month
  3. tube — a container
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. track — a song
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a path
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mine — for digging
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. track — to keep track
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bear — the animal
  19. swing — to play on
  20. march — music
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. march — the month
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bear — the animal

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