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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lean — to bend
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cap — a lid
  7. season — of the year
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. dip — to sink
  16. season — in sport
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fine — high quality
  23. toast — bread
  24. racket — for tennis

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