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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. scale — size or range
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rash — a series
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — a gift
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. swing — music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. present — there
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. scale — in music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rash — hasty

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