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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · racket · swing · lean · mark · wake · toast · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wake — a trail
  3. swing — in golf
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. lean — thin
  7. mark — a grade
  8. swing — to play on
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. swing — music
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mark — a trace
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. lean — to bend
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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