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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · pitcher · mate · rock · roll · key · lash · field

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. field — a subject
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. field — for sport
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rock — music
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mate — to breed
  15. swing — in golf
  16. field — farmland
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mate — a partner
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — the most important part
  23. roll — a list
  24. mate — a friend

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