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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bark — to shout
  5. court — of law
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — to bear
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. court — for sport
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. court — of a king
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stand — on your feet

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