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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: last · craft · pitch · season · net · date · lash · kid

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. last — to go on
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pitch — completely
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. kid — to tease
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. net — in sport
  12. season — in sport
  13. craft — boats
  14. net — for catching
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. last — finally
  18. net — after costs
  19. date — the fruit
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. kid — child
  23. last — final
  24. date — on the calendar

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