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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. swing — music
  3. toast — bread
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. swing — to play on
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. swing — in golf
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bowl — to roll

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