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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. land — ground
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. swing — music
  7. spring — of water
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fine — high quality
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. swing — to play on
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. spring — the season
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. land — to come down
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. land — a country
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pitch — completely

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