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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitch — completely
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. swing — music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. swing — in golf
  19. kick — in football
  20. prune — to trim
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bass — the fish
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bass — low 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