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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · wound · stand · lash · club · pitcher

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wound — an injury
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stand — to bear
  9. club — a group
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. club — for golf

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