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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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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: swing · roll · land · toast · track · saw · wake · pass

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. land — ground
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pass — a permit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. toast — bread
  7. roll — a cake
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. swing — to play on
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wake — a trail
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. track — to keep track
  15. swing — music
  16. track — a path
  17. roll — a list
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. track — a song
  24. roll — on a roll

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