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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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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. club — for golf
  7. current — of water
  8. roll — a list
  9. pitch — completely
  10. game — a match
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. scale — in music
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. current — happening now
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. club — a group
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. current — electric
  24. game — wild animals

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