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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: net · lash · land · pitch · rock · mouse · kick · board

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. net — after costs
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. land — to come down
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. land — ground
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. net — for catching
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rock — a stone
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pitch — completely
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. land — a country
  21. board — to get on
  22. net — in sport
  23. rock — music
  24. mouse — for a computer

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