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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: suit · field · squash · can · bass · pitch · saw · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. field — a subject
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. field — for sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. can — a tin
  17. field — farmland
  18. squash — to crush
  19. suit — in cards
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. can — a tin
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. squash — the sport

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