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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: lash · pitcher · net · mouse · cap · plane · toast · sharp

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. net — in sport
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. net — for catching
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cap — a lid
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. toast — bread
  20. net — after costs
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. plane — an aircraft

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