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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 116 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.

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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: pit · pitch · lash · pitcher · squash · stand · stem · rash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stem — to come from
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stand — to bear
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pit — in a race
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitch — a sports field

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