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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. season — in sport
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. current — of water
  6. dip — to sink
  7. season — of the year
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. present — a gift
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — there
  12. last — final
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. last — finally
  17. swing — music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. present — the time now
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. dip — a sauce

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