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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: swing · bat · bay · toast · fork · racket · object · wake

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bat — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. swing — music
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. object — an aim
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — to protest
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wake — before a funeral

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