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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: deal · bay · lash · ground · perch · drill · mug · club

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. ground — crushed
  7. perch — the fish
  8. drill — the tool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. ground — a position
  13. mug — to rob
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. club — for golf
  17. drill — army training
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. mug — a face
  24. drill — a practice

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