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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: swing · bowl · row · pit · spell · rock · lash · bore

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. row — to paddle
  8. swing — music
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. spell — a short time
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rock — music
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pit — a hole
  18. row — a line
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. spell — magic
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. spell — letters

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