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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: pitcher · arm · spell · club · rush · pitch · prune · bowl

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. spell — magic
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. club — a group
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spell — a short time
  12. club — for golf
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. spell — letters
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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