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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 · kick · lash · season · temple · roll · staff · chair

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. kick — in football
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. roll — a cake
  7. staff — a stick
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. staff — employees
  16. roll — a list
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. season — of the year
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. chair — a leader
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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