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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 120 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. current — happening now
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. content — the amount
  12. swing — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. content — happy
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. current — of water
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. club — for dancing
  21. swing — to play on
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. current — electric
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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