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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pound — a weight
  3. cap — a hat
  4. net — for catching
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cap — a lid
  8. season — of the year
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. club — for golf
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. net — after costs
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bear — the animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rash — a series
  21. net — in sport
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. season — to add flavour

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