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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. degree — an amount
  5. chip — to eat
  6. staff — a stick
  7. chip — for betting
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bank — for money
  10. staff — employees
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bank — of a river
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bank — for money
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. staff — employees
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. degree — temperature

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