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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. club — a group
  5. firm — decided
  6. last — to go on
  7. firm — a company
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rush — hurry
  12. saw — the tool
  13. last — finally
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. firm — steady
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. last — final
  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