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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. swing — music
  3. craft — a skill
  4. swing — in golf
  5. toast — bread
  6. wake — a trail
  7. swing — to play on
  8. march — music
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. march — the month
  11. craft — boats
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. march — the month
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. ground — crushed

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