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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: ball · pitcher · lash · scale · wave · bay · season · rash

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. season — in sport
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. scale — in music
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rash — a series
  19. ball — a great time
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. season — of the year

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