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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 · saw · rule · swing · date · spring · present · rock

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. swing — music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rock — music
  10. track — a song
  11. rule — a law
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rule — government
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. date — the fruit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. track — a path
  23. spring — of water
  24. rock — a stone

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