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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pound — a weight
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bass — low music
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pitch — a sports field

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