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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. present — there
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. track — a path
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. staff — employees
  11. game — wild animals
  12. club — for dancing
  13. present — a gift
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pitch — completely
  23. game — a match
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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