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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: nail · pit · bass · swing · game · rush · rock · lash

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rock — music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bass — low music
  13. swing — music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bass — the fish
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pit — a hole
  24. nail — for a hammer

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