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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. game — wild animals
  7. club — a group
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. game — a match
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. club — for dancing
  13. key — in music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. key — for a lock
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. key — the most important part
  24. squash — to crush

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