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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rash — hasty
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. field — for sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rash — a series
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. field — a subject
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cue — a hint
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. field — farmland
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. dip — to sink
  22. toast — bread
  23. cue — for pool
  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