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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mark — a grade
  4. snap — to click
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. kid — to tease
  7. fine — high quality
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fine — all right
  16. club — for dancing
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. club — a group
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. club — for golf

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