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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. field — farmland
  7. suit — clothes
  8. race — the arms race
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. scale — in music
  12. row — to paddle
  13. field — for sport
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. field — a subject
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bore — to tire
  18. row — a line
  19. scale — size or range
  20. race — a contest
  21. pitch — completely
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bore — to drill
  24. race — humankind

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