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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.

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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: club · game · stick · pitch · rush · wound · foot · bay

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wound — an injury
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. game — a match
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. club — for golf
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rush — hurry

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