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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: ball · lash · swing · staff · saw · roll · pit · game

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pit — a hole
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ball — a great time
  6. staff — a stick
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pit — in a race
  10. staff — employees
  11. swing — to play on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. roll — a cake
  16. swing — music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ball — a dance
  19. roll — a list
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. staff — employees
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. swing — in golf
  24. game — a match

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