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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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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: mug · calf · kid · cabinet · lash · current · swing · pitch

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mug — a face
  3. pitch — completely
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. swing — to play on
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. current — of water
  18. kid — child
  19. current — electric
  20. swing — in golf
  21. current — happening now
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. calf — of the leg

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