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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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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: tear · lash · jam · stand · net · pitch · fall · deal

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fall — the season
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pitch — completely
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stand — to bear
  15. tear — to rip
  16. fall — to drop
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fall — to drop

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