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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 · swing · bark · row · jam · firm · leaves · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. firm — steady
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. swing — music
  6. firm — decided
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. row — to paddle
  9. track — a path
  10. swing — in golf
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cue — a signal
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. track — a song
  17. swing — to play on
  18. firm — a company
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. track — to keep track
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cue — for pool
  23. row — a line
  24. jam — in traffic

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