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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. field — farmland
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. field — a subject
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. field — for sport
  18. mug — to rob
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. swing — music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bound — certain
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mug — a face

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