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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 120 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mug — a face
  3. last — to go on
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. swing — music
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mug — to rob
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. last — final
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rock — a stone
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. rock — music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. last — finally
  24. mug — a cup

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