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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.

Make a worksheet

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: firm · pitch · scale · lash · saw · chair · row · ball

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ball — a dance
  3. saw — the tool
  4. row — to paddle
  5. scale — in music
  6. chair — a leader
  7. firm — decided
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ball — a great time
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. row — a line
  14. saw — the tool
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. firm — steady
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. firm — a company
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pitch — completely

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