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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. swing — music
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. toast — bread
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — a match
  13. race — a contest
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. content — happy
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. swing — in golf
  24. plane — a tool

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