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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: squash · pitch · bowl · deal · lash · club · calf · nail

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. club — for golf
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitch — completely

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