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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. present — there
  3. season — in sport
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. swing — in golf
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. swing — music
  8. present — the time now
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. swing — to play on
  15. dip — to sink
  16. present — a gift
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. season — of the year

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