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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 116 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: pit · swing · fine · land · ground · lash · calf · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. swing — in golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. club — a group
  9. fine — all right
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ground — crushed
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. land — ground
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. ground — the earth
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pit — a hole
  23. swing — music
  24. ground — a position

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