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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 116 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: staff · ground · object · swing · pitcher · suit · key · lash

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. swing — to play on
  3. ground — a position
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. object — an aim
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. object — to protest
  11. staff — a stick
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. swing — music
  15. object — a thing
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. swing — in golf
  18. ground — the earth
  19. key — in music
  20. ground — crushed
  21. suit — clothes
  22. key — the most important part
  23. staff — employees
  24. lash — to lash out

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