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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. land — a country
  5. spell — letters
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. capital — money
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. spell — a short time
  10. roll — a cake
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stand — to bear
  16. land — ground
  17. row — a line
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. land — to come down
  22. spell — magic
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. roll — a list

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