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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 116 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: lash · pitch · bass · sharp · tube · spring · mug · race

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mug — a cup
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. tube — a container
  8. race — humankind
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pitch — completely
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. spring — the season
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. spring — of water
  22. mug — to rob
  23. race — a contest
  24. bass — low music

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