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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. firm — a company
  3. file — a line of people
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. suit — in cards
  8. file — a tool
  9. toast — bread
  10. file — a document
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. firm — steady
  13. suit — clothes
  14. scale — size or range
  15. swing — music
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. firm — decided
  18. swing — in golf
  19. scale — in music
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. suit — to fit

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