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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. board — to get on
  7. swing — to play on
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. toast — bread
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bat — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. swing — music
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. club — a group
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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