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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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. safe — out of danger
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stock — shares
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. ground — crushed
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ground — a position
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. firm — a company
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stock — goods
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in a prison

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