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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: calf · game · pitcher · lash · bass · pitch · pop · wake

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. lash — to lash out
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pop — to visit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pop — music
  11. bass — low music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pop — soda
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bass — the fish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. game — a match
  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