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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.

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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. club — for golf
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cue — for pool
  11. club — for dancing
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bass — low music
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fine — all right
  18. club — a group
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. present — a gift
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. present — there
  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