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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: track · present · swing · suit · fine · bound · deal · chest

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bound — certain
  4. deal — to handle
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. chest — of your body
  8. suit — clothes
  9. present — there
  10. swing — to play on
  11. present — a gift
  12. bound — obliged
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bound — tied together
  17. swing — music
  18. track — to keep track
  19. swing — in golf
  20. chest — a box
  21. track — a song
  22. fine — high quality
  23. track — a path
  24. present — the time now

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