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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: roll · ball · straw · pitcher · pop · plane · suit · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. roll — a list
  3. pop — music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pop — soda
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. roll — a cake
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pop — to visit
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. club — for golf
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. club — for dancing

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