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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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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: sharp · pop · pitcher · net · present · mouse · root · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. root — of a plant
  5. present — there
  6. sharp — clever
  7. club — a group
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. root — of a word
  10. pop — soda
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. net — for catching
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. net — after costs
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. present — a gift
  18. pop — music
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. net — in sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. present — the time now
  24. pop — to visit

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