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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pop — to visit
  6. craft — boats
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. toast — bread
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pop — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. snap — to click
  21. swing — music
  22. craft — a skill
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pop — soda

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