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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · firm · rush · last · pit · spring · lash · present

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rush — hurry
  7. firm — steady
  8. pit — in a race
  9. spring — the season
  10. present — the time now
  11. pitch — completely
  12. spring — of water
  13. present — a gift
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. present — there
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. last — final
  18. firm — a company
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. last — finally
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. last — to go on
  23. firm — decided
  24. pitch — a sports field

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