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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: swing · bat · track · deal · press · spell · fine · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. deal — to handle
  4. track — a path
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fine — high quality
  10. spell — letters
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. swing — to play on
  14. press — newspapers
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. spell — magic
  22. track — to keep track
  23. roll — a list
  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