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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: deal · ball · roll · current · mine · pitch · lash · mug

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mug — a face
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mug — to rob
  10. current — happening now
  11. roll — a list
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. current — electric
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. roll — a cake
  22. current — of water
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pitch — completely

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