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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. swing — music
  3. present — a gift
  4. rock — music
  5. toast — bread
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. swing — to play on
  8. fine — all right
  9. charge — a price
  10. object — an aim
  11. rock — a stone
  12. swing — in golf
  13. present — there
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fine — high quality
  18. object — to protest
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. object — a thing
  22. charge — in control
  23. present — the time now
  24. bat — the animal

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