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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: pitch · fine · lash · cell · wound · rock · board · lean

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. board — a committee
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cell — a phone
  17. board — to get on
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fine — all right
  22. lean — thin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. board — a flat piece

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