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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 120 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: season · swing · chair · track · plane · present · pop · trunk

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. season — in sport
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. track — a song
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. swing — in golf
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. swing — music
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. track — a path
  15. present — the time now
  16. swing — to play on
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. track — to keep track
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. season — of the year
  22. pop — music
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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