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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 116 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: band · racket · swing · firm · suit · rash · track · season

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. suit — in cards
  3. track — a song
  4. swing — in golf
  5. season — of the year
  6. swing — music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rash — hasty
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. rash — a series
  15. firm — a company
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. track — to keep track
  18. suit — to fit
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. firm — decided
  21. track — a path
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. suit — clothes

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