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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. club — for golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. scale — size or range
  5. season — in sport
  6. bass — low music
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fine — all right
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rash — a series
  11. season — of the year
  12. swing — music
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bass — the fish
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. club — a group

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