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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: stand · wake · game · club · perch · swing · prune · pitch

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pitch — completely
  4. game — wild animals
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. swing — to play on
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. club — a group
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stand — to bear
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. club — for dancing
  19. prune — to trim
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. club — for golf
  24. game — a match

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