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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: bear · bass · pitch · cue · toast · club · bay · mine

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. club — for golf
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bass — low music
  16. toast — bread
  17. club — a group
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cue — a hint

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