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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 lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. swing — music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. can — a tin
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cap — a hat
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. net — for catching
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cap — a lid
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cap — of ice
  16. swing — in golf
  17. can — a tin
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. net — in sport
  20. pass — a permit
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. net — after costs
  23. squash — to crush
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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