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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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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: sharp · court · pound · squash · ball · pitch · lash · calf

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pound — a weight
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. ball — a dance
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pound — for dogs

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