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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pitch — completely
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. perch — the fish
  5. fine — all right
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. swing — to play on
  8. root — of a word
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. kid — child
  12. swing — music
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. swing — in golf
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. root — the cause
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. root — of a plant
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fine — high quality
  24. toast — bread

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