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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spell — a short time
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. spell — magic
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pop — to visit
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. tube — the underground
  11. last — to go on
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. tube — a container
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. last — final
  17. swing — music
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. last — finally
  20. spell — letters
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bass — the fish
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bass — low 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