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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. land — a country
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. land — to come down
  5. pitch — completely
  6. club — a group
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. land — ground
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. track — a path
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. club — for dancing
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mark — a trace
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. roll — a list
  23. mark — a grade
  24. club — for golf

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