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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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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. net — for catching
  4. firm — decided
  5. net — after costs
  6. field — for sport
  7. firm — a company
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bark — to shout
  12. swing — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. field — farmland
  16. firm — steady
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. net — in sport
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. swing — to play on
  21. field — a subject
  22. scale — in music
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bark — of a tree

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