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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: present · swing · saw · field · jam · rush · fall · board

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. field — for sport
  3. fall — the season
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fall — to drop
  6. saw — the tool
  7. present — a gift
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — to get on
  13. field — farmland
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. field — a subject
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — a committee
  23. rush — hurry
  24. swing — to play on

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