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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. firm — steady
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rash — hasty
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. firm — decided
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rock — music
  21. pass — a permit
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. march — music
  24. swing — music

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