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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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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: racket · pop · fork · content · pitch · straw · club · pass

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fork — in a road
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. content — happy
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. club — a group
  14. pop — soda
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pitch — completely
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. club — for golf
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. content — the amount
  24. straw — dry grass

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