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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ground — a position
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. march — the month
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pass — a permit
  14. march — the month
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. march — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ground — crushed

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