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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. season — of the year
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. club — for dancing
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. vault — a safe
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. season — in sport
  21. dip — to sink
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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