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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. swing — music
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. firm — a company
  7. current — of water
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — happening now
  11. firm — steady
  12. cell — a phone
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fall — to drop
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fall — the season
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cell — in biology
  19. swing — in golf
  20. firm — decided
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. current — electric
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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