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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. row — a line
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pass — a permit
  15. dip — to sink
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pitch — completely
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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