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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. drill — the tool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. toast — bread
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. drill — army training
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. present — there
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. swing — to play on
  18. present — a gift
  19. wind — moving air
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. drill — a practice
  24. deal — an agreement

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