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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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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: cell · bear · fan · pitch · rest · club · net · cue

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. net — in sport
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. club — for golf
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rest — a break
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bear — the animal

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