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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: pit · swing · temple · lash · fan · field · mouse · row

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — a hole
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. field — for sport
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. swing — music
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. swing — to play on

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