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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. swing — music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. hand — in cards
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. dip — to sink
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hand — help
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pitch — completely

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