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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: firm · lean · swing · track · craft · tube · pitcher · march

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lean — thin
  3. tube — a container
  4. craft — a skill
  5. firm — a company
  6. craft — boats
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. swing — music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. lean — to bend
  15. track — to keep track
  16. march — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. march — the month
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. swing — in golf
  21. track — a path
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — the month
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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