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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. toast — a drink to someone
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. firm — decided
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. firm — steady
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. file — a tool
  12. firm — a company
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. kick — in football
  17. sharp — clever
  18. toast — bread
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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