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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. court — for sport
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — in music
  7. court — of a king
  8. club — for golf
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. fork — in a road
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. club — a group
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. court — of law

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