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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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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 · mug · rock · ground · pitch · racket · lash · capital

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. capital — money
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. firm — steady
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. firm — a company
  8. rock — music
  9. mug — a cup
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mug — to rob
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mug — a face
  18. capital — a city
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ground — crushed
  23. firm — decided
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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