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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 124 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pound — a weight
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. board — a committee
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. board — to get on
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bass — the fish
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fork — in a road
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. bass — low music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bass — the instrument

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