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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: kick · cue · bass · band · lash · pitch · toast · content

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. band — a ring
  9. cue — a signal
  10. kick — in football
  11. bass — low music
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. band — a music group
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. toast — bread
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. content — happy
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. content — the amount
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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