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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 120 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: cue · lash · bass · field · deal · pound · plane · swing

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cue — for pool
  3. swing — in golf
  4. field — for sport
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cue — a signal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pound — a weight
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. field — farmland
  13. bass — low music
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. swing — to play on
  17. cue — a hint
  18. swing — music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. field — a subject
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. deal — to handle

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