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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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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 · pitcher · present · ground · scale · net · deal · squash

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. deal — to handle
  3. squash — to crush
  4. scale — in music
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. ground — crushed
  11. scale — size or range
  12. squash — the sport
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. net — in sport
  15. present — there
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. present — the time now
  18. net — after costs
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. net — for catching
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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