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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 120 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: stick · swing · pitch · stock · lash · season · calf · board

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. season — of the year
  7. swing — music
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — a committee
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. board — to get on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — goods
  17. season — in sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stock — shares
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stock — a soup base

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