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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.

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: bat · mug · racket · pitch · lash · clip · fine · stock

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mug — a face
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. clip — for paper
  9. pitch — completely
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. clip — a video
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stock — shares
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stock — goods
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fine — all right
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fine — high quality

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