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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: court · lash · pitcher · date · stand · stick · last · squash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. last — finally
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. last — to go on
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. last — final
  19. court — of law
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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