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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 · sharp · bay · tube · branch · capital · saw · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. capital — money
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. sharp — clever
  12. saw — the tool
  13. capital — a city
  14. branch — a division
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pitch — completely
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. tube — a container
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. sharp — exactly

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