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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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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: lash · court · bay · fine · current · game · spell · pitch

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fine — high quality
  9. current — electric
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fine — all right
  12. court — of law
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. court — of a king
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. current — of water
  17. spell — magic
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. game — a match
  20. pitch — completely
  21. spell — letters
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. court — for sport
  24. current — happening now

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