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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. swing — in golf
  3. object — a thing
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pass — a permit
  9. object — an aim
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rest — what's left
  12. track — a song
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. track — to keep track
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rest — what's left
  20. object — to protest
  21. club — for dancing
  22. swing — music
  23. rest — a break
  24. track — a path

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