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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: tube · march · swing · deal · racket · present · wound · fine

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. swing — in golf
  4. tube — a container
  5. swing — music
  6. present — there
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fine — high quality
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. present — a gift
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. march — the month
  19. tube — the underground
  20. march — music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fine — all right
  23. march — the month
  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