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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bat — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. toast — bread
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. land — ground
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. land — a country
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. land — to come down
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. fan — a supporter

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