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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 water is too ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — an illness
  3. firm — steady
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. firm — decided
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. bark — to shout
  16. firm — a company
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mug — a face
  20. toast — bread
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mug — to rob

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