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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.

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: rash · plane · squash · pop · pitch · cue · club · chair

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. rash — hasty
  3. cue — a hint
  4. club — a group
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. club — for golf
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rash — a series
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pop — soda
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pop — to visit
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pop — music
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cue — for pool
  23. club — for dancing
  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