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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: kid · pass · pitcher · mine · rock · club · game · sharp

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. kid — child
  6. pass — a permit
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rock — a stone
  14. club — for golf
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. game — a match
  17. mine — for digging
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rock — music
  24. mine — belonging to me

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