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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: stick · pitch · bowl · patient · rule · lash · row · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rule — government
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. club — a group
  13. pitch — completely
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. row — a line
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rule — a law
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. club — for golf

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