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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 116 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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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: lean · hand · wave · rock · bat · bay · pitch · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. club — for golf
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lean — to bend
  16. hand — help
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. lean — thin

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