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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.

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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: bulb · last · bat · pitch · lash · bore · chip · row

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bat — the animal
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. row — a line
  14. last — to go on
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. last — finally
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pitch — completely
  24. last — final

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