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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: pitch · club · spring · leaves · lash · foot · bass · season

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. club — for golf
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. season — of the year
  7. foot — a measure
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. spring — a coil
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. season — in sport
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bass — low music
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. spring — of water
  17. bass — the fish
  18. spring — the season
  19. pitch — completely
  20. club — for dancing
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. club — a group

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