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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: pitch · stand · club · game · hand · pop · board · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. pop — music
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. board — to get on
  9. pop — soda
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pop — to visit
  21. club — for golf
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. hand — help
  24. stand — to bear

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