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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. dip — to sink
  6. court — of a king
  7. shower — rain
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chest — of your body
  11. court — for sport
  12. swing — to play on
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chest — of your body
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. swing — music
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. toast — bread
  21. chest — a box
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. court — of law
  24. shower — to wash

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