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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · fan · pitcher · dip · club · bat

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. present — a gift
  6. bat — the animal
  7. present — the time now
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. club — a group
  16. present — there
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fan — a supporter

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