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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · pass · club · track · swing · pit · bark · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pass — a permit
  4. track — to keep track
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. swing — music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bark — to shout
  17. swing — in golf
  18. tube — a container
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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