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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rest — a break
  3. pit — a hole
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. swing — music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. field — farmland
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. field — for sport
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. scale — in music
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rest — what's left
  24. field — a subject

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