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

Word bank: club · squash · pitch · object · rule · stick

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rule — government
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. club — for golf
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rule — a law
  14. object — to protest
  15. pitch — completely
  16. object — an aim
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. club — for dancing

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