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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 120 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: pitch · lash · bat · stem · ball · root · deal · sharp

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pitch — completely
  7. sharp — clever
  8. root — the cause
  9. ball — a dance
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bat — the animal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. root — of a word

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