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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 120 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: wave · racket · net · stand · tear · pitch · club · straw

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stand — to bear
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. club — a group
  9. net — for catching
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. net — in sport
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. club — for golf
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. tear — from crying

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