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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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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: pitch · lash · bark · swing · rash · hand · bound · bowl

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bound — obliged
  4. rash — hasty
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. swing — in golf
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. swing — music
  21. bound — certain
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rash — a series

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