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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: pitch · lash · season · rock · net · sharp · mouse · cue

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. season — in sport
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. net — for catching
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. sharp — clever
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rock — music
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. net — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. net — after costs

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