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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: lash · bowl · object · swing · key · club · wind · fork

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. swing — to play on
  3. club — for dancing
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. object — a thing
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. swing — in golf
  16. club — a group
  17. swing — music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. fork — in a road
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. club — for golf
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wind — moving air

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