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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rule — a law
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. present — there
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. swing — music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. swing — to play on
  13. track — a song
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bank — for money
  16. fine — all right
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fine — high quality
  21. present — the time now
  22. bank — for money
  23. rule — government
  24. field — farmland

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