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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pop — soda
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bass — low music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hand — help
  24. pop — music

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