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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: bay · firm · chip · track · swing · spell · can · plane

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spell — letters
  3. track — a song
  4. swing — music
  5. firm — decided
  6. spell — magic
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chip — to eat
  10. can — a tin
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. chip — for betting
  19. firm — steady
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. firm — a company
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. can — to be able to

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