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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: calf · rash · trunk · track · can · present · swing · march

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. present — there
  4. can — a tin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rash — a series
  9. present — the time now
  10. swing — to play on
  11. track — a path
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. present — a gift
  16. rash — hasty
  17. march — the month
  18. track — to keep track
  19. march — the month
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. swing — music
  22. march — music
  23. track — a song
  24. swing — in golf

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