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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. club — a group
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cue — a hint
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. club — for golf
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cue — a signal
  17. hand — help
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pitch — completely
  24. squash — to crush

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