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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: track · field · cue · plane · pitcher · pitch · club · fan

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. track — a song
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. field — farmland
  7. plane — a tool
  8. track — a path
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. club — for golf
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cue — a signal
  14. field — for sport
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cue — a hint
  20. field — a subject
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cue — for pool

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