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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.

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: sharp · rock · squash · pitcher · march · racket · game · object

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rock — a stone
  6. game — a match
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. object — a thing
  10. rock — music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. object — an aim
  13. march — the month
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. squash — to crush
  17. march — music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. march — the month
  21. squash — the sport
  22. object — to protest
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pitcher — a jug

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