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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: lash · squash · content · lie · pitcher · net · cue · pitch

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. content — the amount
  8. net — in sport
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. pitch — completely

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