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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: bear · object · club · racket · pitcher · present · kick · stand

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stand — to bear
  3. club — for golf
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — a group
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. present — a gift
  10. bear — the animal
  11. object — to protest
  12. kick — in football
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. object — an aim
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. club — for dancing
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. present — there

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