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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: roll · swing · bear · current · track · season · pop · kick

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. swing — to play on
  3. season — of the year
  4. roll — a list
  5. kick — in football
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. track — a song
  8. pop — to visit
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. swing — in golf
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pop — soda
  13. current — of water
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. season — in sport
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — music
  21. pop — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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