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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. net — for catching
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. hand — in cards
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. net — in sport
  7. pop — to visit
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. club — a group
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. net — after costs
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pop — music
  16. club — for golf
  17. pop — soda
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pitcher — a jug

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