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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: pitch · drill · lash · toast · fork · mouse · cell · spring

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. spring — a coil
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cell — in biology
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pitch — completely
  16. toast — bread
  17. drill — army training
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cell — a phone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. cell — in a prison

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