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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 120 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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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: content · ground · pitch · wind · lash · coach · mate · pass

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pass — a permit
  6. content — happy
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mate — to breed
  20. ground — a position
  21. mate — a friend
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. content — the amount

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