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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. court — of a king
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bore — to tire
  5. spring — of water
  6. wake — a trail
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. court — for sport
  11. capital — a city
  12. court — of law
  13. spring — the season
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. capital — money
  16. pit — in a race
  17. spring — a coil
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. temple — side of the head

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