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

Word bank: pit · mark · club · prune · roll · lash · scale · swing

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. roll — a list
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mark — a grade
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pit — in a race
  12. club — for golf
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pit — a hole
  20. scale — in music
  21. roll — a cake
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. scale — size or range

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