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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · present · pitcher · stick · club · object · deal · track

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — a path
  4. club — for dancing
  5. season — of the year
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. present — a gift
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. present — the time now
  13. track — to keep track
  14. club — a group
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. season — in sport
  21. object — an aim
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. track — a song
  24. present — there

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