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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. object — a thing
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. club — for golf
  7. rush — hurry
  8. content — the amount
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. object — to protest
  13. club — a group
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. club — for dancing
  16. content — happy
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pitch — completely
  20. staff — employees
  21. object — an aim
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pitch — a sports field

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