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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. ground — crushed
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ground — a position
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. club — for golf
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. suit — in cards
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. cold — an illness

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