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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: wave · pitch · pitcher · tube · field · stand · season · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. pitch — completely
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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