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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: foot · cell · present · pitcher · rock · deal · ball · club

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rock — music
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cell — a phone
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. present — the time now
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cell — in biology
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. present — there
  15. rock — a stone
  16. ball — a great time
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. club — for golf
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. club — a group

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