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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mate — a partner
  6. tear — from crying
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. tear — to rip
  17. ball — a great time
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. club — a group
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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