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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: fall · fine · mug · track · rule · spell · game · swing

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fall — the season
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rule — a law
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. track — a path
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mug — a face
  12. spell — magic
  13. fine — all right
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mug — to rob
  17. swing — to play on
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. track — a song
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mug — a cup
  24. game — wild animals

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