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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cap — a hat
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cold — not warm
  9. toast — bread
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. swing — to play on
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cap — of ice
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rock — music
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. cold — an illness
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pit — a hole

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