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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
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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: present · march · court · suit · lash · pitch · net · ground

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ground — a position
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ground — the earth
  5. court — of law
  6. net — for catching
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ground — crushed
  9. march — the month
  10. court — of a king
  11. present — a gift
  12. net — in sport
  13. march — the month
  14. court — for sport
  15. present — the time now
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. suit — clothes
  19. present — there
  20. march — music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. net — after costs
  24. lash — an eyelash

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