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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. swing — to play on
  4. field — for sport
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. court — of law
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pit — a hole
  11. spell — magic
  12. court — of a king
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. swing — music
  16. field — farmland
  17. swing — in golf
  18. field — a subject
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. court — for sport
  24. rule — government

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