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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
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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: pitch · charge · last · race · spring · rash · lash · mark

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. spring — the season
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. last — to go on
  7. mark — a grade
  8. race — humankind
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitch — completely
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. last — final
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. charge — in control
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rash — a series
  20. last — finally
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. spring — of water

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