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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 116 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: straw · fork · pit · lash · wind · club · pound · dip

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pound — a weight
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. club — for dancing
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pit — in a race
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. dip — to sink
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wind — moving air

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