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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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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: kid · coach · mark · pitch · mate · lash · bowl · cell

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mate — a friend
  15. kid — child
  16. cell — in biology
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. kid — to tease
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mark — a grade

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