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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. band — a music group
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wake — a trail
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. field — farmland
  12. band — a ring
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. board — to get on
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. field — for sport
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. board — a committee
  20. can — a tin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. field — a subject

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