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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.

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: pitch · game · bear · rash · saw · club · kid · bulb

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kid — child
  3. club — a group
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. game — a match
  12. saw — the tool
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — hasty
  17. club — for golf
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kid — to tease
  21. rash — a series
  22. bear — the animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pitch — completely

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