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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pit — a hole
  8. club — for golf
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. drill — a practice
  14. sharp — clever
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. club — a group
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. drill — army training

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