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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: track · tube · mark · racket · pit · cap · march · swing

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. track — a path
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mark — a grade
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. swing — in golf
  19. track — a song
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — a container
  24. track — to keep track

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