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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. swing — in golf
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rest — what's left
  11. swing — to play on
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. content — happy
  16. row — to paddle
  17. dip — to sink
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. chair — a leader
  21. content — the amount
  22. row — a line
  23. swing — music
  24. toast — bread

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