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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · club · land · sharp · pitch · racket · tube · stick

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. sharp — clever
  4. land — a country
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. tube — the underground
  8. game — wild animals
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. land — to come down
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. land — ground
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tube — a container
  23. pitch — completely
  24. club — for golf

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