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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. spring — of water
  3. craft — boats
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pitch — completely
  9. firm — a company
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. firm — decided
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. chest — of your body
  15. toast — bread
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. dip — to sink
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. spring — the season
  20. chest — a box
  21. spring — a coil
  22. firm — steady
  23. craft — a skill
  24. chest — of your body

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