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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 got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. chip — for betting
  6. toast — bread
  7. chip — to eat
  8. squash — to crush
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. drill — a practice
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. swing — in golf
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. swing — music

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