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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: mug · track · straw · deal · drill · swing · saw · fork

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. swing — in golf
  4. track — to keep track
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. saw — the tool
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. swing — music
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. drill — the tool
  15. track — a path
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mug — a face
  19. drill — a practice
  20. track — a song
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mug — to rob
  23. drill — army training
  24. mug — a cup

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