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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: rule · track · swing · firm · hand · bear · cabinet · tube

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. firm — decided
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. firm — a company
  5. bear — the animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. swing — music
  9. rule — government
  10. track — a song
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. hand — help
  13. rule — a law
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bear — the animal
  16. firm — steady
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. track — a path
  19. swing — to play on
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. hand — in cards
  24. tube — a container

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