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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: sharp · squash · club · pitch · mate · pop · rest · wound

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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. rest — what's left
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rest — a break
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. club — for dancing
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pop — soda
  13. squash — to crush
  14. club — a group
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pop — to visit
  17. club — for golf
  18. wound — an injury
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pop — music
  22. mate — to breed
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rest — what's left

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