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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · pop · suit · mug · chair · swing · field · track

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. swing — to play on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. swing — in golf
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — a face
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. roll — a cake
  11. track — a song
  12. roll — a list
  13. mug — to rob
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pop — music
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pop — to visit
  19. suit — to fit
  20. track — to keep track
  21. field — a subject
  22. track — a path
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. swing — music

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