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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. swing — in golf
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wake — a trail
  10. scale — in music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. swing — music
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lash — to lash out

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