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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: present · swing · rush · staff · file · track · bat · leaves

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. track — to keep track
  3. swing — in golf
  4. present — there
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. swing — to play on
  7. track — a path
  8. present — the time now
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. staff — a stick
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. track — a song
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bat — the animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. swing — music
  23. staff — employees
  24. present — a gift

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