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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. toast — bread
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fine — all right
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. chip — for betting
  10. craft — a skill
  11. firm — decided
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. firm — a company
  15. swing — music
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. cap — a hat
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. firm — steady
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cap — a lid
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fine — high quality

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