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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: pitch · present · drill · lash · season · saw · tube · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. present — a gift
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. season — in sport
  5. drill — a practice
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitch — completely
  10. drill — army training
  11. present — there
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. saw — the tool
  14. drill — the tool
  15. present — the time now
  16. season — of the year
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. tube — the underground
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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