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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. firm — decided
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pound — a weight
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. band — a ring
  9. firm — a company
  10. deal — to handle
  11. land — ground
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. band — a music group
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. land — to come down
  18. firm — steady
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. land — a country
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. deal — an agreement

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