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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. hand — in cards
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. net — after costs
  6. rash — a series
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. net — for catching
  9. rash — hasty
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pit — in a race
  12. toast — bread
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. net — in sport
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pit — a hole
  18. press — newspapers
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. hand — help
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. press — to push

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