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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · pitcher · scale · pitch · wound · rest · cap · lash

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rest — a break
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cap — of ice
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. scale — in music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stock — goods
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pitch — a sports field

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