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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: suit · bat · club · season · lash · safe · rash · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. club — for dancing
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. season — in sport
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. suit — to fit
  12. club — a group
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. season — of the year
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. club — for golf
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. suit — clothes
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bat — the animal

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