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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.

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: bowl · saw · firm · pitcher · cue · pitch · lash · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. firm — decided
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. cue — a hint
  9. firm — a company
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. firm — steady
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pitch — completely
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. saw — the tool

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