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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. club — for dancing
  5. track — a path
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. present — the time now
  9. club — for golf
  10. season — of the year
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. track — a song
  17. present — there
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. present — a gift
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. track — to keep track
  23. season — in sport
  24. lean — thin

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