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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. swing — music
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. toast — bread
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bat — the animal
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. date — the fruit
  17. cell — a phone
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. swing — to play on
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. ground — crushed

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