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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. spring — of water
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. court — of a king
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. court — for sport
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bat — the animal
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. court — of law
  17. spring — the season
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. arm — part of the body

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