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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. swing — to play on
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. toast — bread
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. spring — of water
  14. swing — music
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wave — with your hand

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