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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.

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
468
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: club · game · pitch · fan · prune · staff · mouse · wave

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. staff — employees
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitch — completely
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. prune — to trim
  18. club — for golf
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. game — a match
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. staff — employees

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