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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: mark · fan · clip · spell · stick · swing · march · ball

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spell — magic
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. clip — for paper
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. swing — to play on
  14. clip — a video
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a dance
  19. march — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. clip — to cut
  22. mark — a trace
  23. spell — letters
  24. ball — a great time

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