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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. swing — music
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. swing — in golf
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. swing — to play on
  15. toast — bread
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pop — music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. cap — of ice
  24. deal — to handle

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