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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: pitch · firm · sharp · bank · spell · object · club · court

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. firm — steady
  5. court — for sport
  6. firm — decided
  7. club — for golf
  8. court — of law
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. object — an aim
  14. spell — magic
  15. court — of a king
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bank — of a river
  18. firm — a company
  19. club — a group
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. spell — letters
  24. sharp — clever

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