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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. club — for golf
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. race — a contest
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. court — of a king
  12. pitch — completely
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mate — a friend
  15. rock — music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mate — a partner
  18. race — humankind
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. race — the arms race
  21. club — a group
  22. court — for sport
  23. rock — a stone
  24. court — of law

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