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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. club — for golf
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. swing — music
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. shower — rain
  10. swing — to play on
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pitch — completely
  16. ball — a great time
  17. club — a group
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fork — in a road
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. lash — to lash out

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