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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · track · jam · bat · trunk · pop · swing · safe

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. track — a song
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. swing — in golf
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. swing — to play on
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bat — the animal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pop — to visit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pop — music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. swing — music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. squash — the sport
  24. safe — a strongbox

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