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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. swing — in golf
  3. current — electric
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. ground — a position
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. ground — crushed
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ground — the earth

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