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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. track — to keep track
  3. capital — money
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. track — a song
  6. spell — magic
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ball — a dance
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. track — a path
  11. ball — a great time
  12. tube — the underground
  13. swing — music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. capital — a city
  17. spell — a short time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. spell — letters
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. swing — to play on
  23. tube — a container
  24. ball — a round shape

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