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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: capital · staff · net · snap · pitch · lash · rash · bound

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. snap — to click
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. staff — employees
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. capital — money
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. capital — a city
  13. bound — certain
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bound — obliged
  17. net — after costs
  18. bound — tied together
  19. net — in sport
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rash — a series
  22. net — for catching
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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