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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: straw · march · bulb · pitch · rock · club · fan · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. club — a group
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rock — music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. club — for golf
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. march — music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. march — the month
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pop — music
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. march — the month

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