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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: wound · club · pitch · bowl · patient · spell · bay · straw

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wound — an injury
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. spell — magic
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pitch — completely
  12. club — a group
  13. spell — letters
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. spell — a short time

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