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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. club — for golf
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mate — a friend
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. club — for dancing
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mate — a partner
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pop — soda
  10. prune — to trim
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. club — a group
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mate — to breed
  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