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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. scale — in music
  5. spell — letters
  6. can — a tin
  7. swing — music
  8. spell — magic
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. swing — in golf
  12. scale — size or range
  13. swing — to play on
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. can — a tin

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