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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wake · land · game · lash · pitch · season · tear · key

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. key — for a lock
  6. land — ground
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. season — of the year
  11. tear — from crying
  12. key — in music
  13. land — a country
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. key — the most important part
  17. season — in sport
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. tear — to rip
  20. land — to come down
  21. game — wild animals
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. tear — from crying
  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