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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 116 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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. club — for golf
  3. pop — soda
  4. content — the amount
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pop — to visit
  7. club — for dancing
  8. root — the cause
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bat — the animal
  13. club — a group
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. content — happy
  19. pop — music
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. root — of a word
  24. fine — high quality

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