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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. file — a document
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pitch — completely
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. swing — to play on
  22. spell — magic
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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