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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: rock · pitch · wax · pitcher · net · prune · lash · drill

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rock — music
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pitch — completely
  12. net — for catching
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wax — to grow
  18. prune — to trim
  19. net — after costs
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. net — in sport
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rock — a stone
  24. prune — to trim

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