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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. spell — magic
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spell — letters
  10. plane — a tool
  11. club — for golf
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pit — in a race
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. spell — a short time
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. stock — shares
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. stock — goods
  24. race — a contest

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