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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. club — for golf
  3. capital — a city
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pitch — completely
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — money
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. club — a group
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. club — for dancing

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