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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. club — for golf
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. club — a group
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chest — of your body
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. toast — bread
  15. game — a match
  16. club — for dancing
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. deal — to handle
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. game — wild animals

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