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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 116 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. court — for sport
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. clip — a video
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. clip — to cut
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. clip — for paper
  24. calf — of the leg

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