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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: straw · staff · pitch · court · club · row · object · fine

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. club — for dancing
  3. row — to paddle
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fine — high quality
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. fine — all right
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. staff — a stick
  11. row — a line
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. court — of a king
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. court — for sport
  20. staff — employees
  21. pitch — completely
  22. object — a thing
  23. staff — employees
  24. fine — a penalty

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