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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. swing — music
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mate — to breed
  6. swing — in golf
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mate — a friend
  13. snap — to click
  14. club — for golf
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mate — a partner
  21. club — a group
  22. ground — a position
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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