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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: pitch · foot · coach · lash · object · fan · wave · mate

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. object — to protest
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. object — an aim
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. object — a thing

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