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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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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lean — thin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lean — to bend
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. court — of law
  14. date — the fruit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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