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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: wave · racket · ball · bat · club · pit · lash · row

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pit — in a race
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. club — for dancing
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pit — a hole
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. club — a group
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. club — for golf
  20. row — a line
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bat — for baseball

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