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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: swing · track · calf · chair · last · roll · spell · bark

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. last — finally
  10. swing — music
  11. track — a song
  12. roll — a list
  13. swing — to play on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. last — final
  17. spell — magic
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. last — to go on
  20. track — to keep track
  21. spell — letters
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. track — a path

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