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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: jam · game · pitcher · rest · toast · ground · swing · lash

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. game — a match
  3. swing — music
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. swing — in golf
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. ground — the earth
  12. toast — bread
  13. rest — a break
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rest — what's left
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rest — what's left

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