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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rest — what's left
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. swing — to play on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rule — a law
  11. track — a song
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wind — moving air
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rule — government
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. track — a path
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — a container
  24. swing — in golf

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