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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: lash · pitcher · rush · march · degree · cabinet · calf · pit

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pit — a hole
  14. march — music
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rush — hurry
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. march — the month
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pitcher — a jug

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