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

Word bank: bear · lash · club · pass · pound · swing

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. club — a group
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pound — a weight
  16. swing — music
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bear — the animal

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