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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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Word bank
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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: racket · game · suit · race · present · swing · march · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. suit — to fit
  3. toast — bread
  4. swing — in golf
  5. march — the month
  6. present — a gift
  7. suit — clothes
  8. present — there
  9. race — humankind
  10. game — a match
  11. race — a contest
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. race — the arms race
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. present — the time now
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. suit — in cards
  23. swing — music
  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