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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. swing — to play on
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. net — for catching
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. toast — bread
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. object — to protest
  16. charge — in control
  17. swing — music
  18. net — after costs
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. charge — a price
  22. net — in sport
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pitch — completely

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