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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. march — music
  5. sharp — clever
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. march — the month
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pitch — completely
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. march — the month
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. toast — bread

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