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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: stick · rash · rule · pound · lash · date · ground · club

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rule — government
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rash — a series
  12. ground — the earth
  13. club — a group
  14. date — the fruit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rule — a law
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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