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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. swing — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. club — for golf
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. firm — a company
  13. club — a group
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pop — soda
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pop — to visit
  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