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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: bay · fan · toast · fine · kick · foot · degree · swing

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. swing — in golf
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. toast — bread
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. swing — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. degree — from a university
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. swing — to play 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