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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. court — of law
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. tube — a container
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. kick — in football
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pit — a hole
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. season — of the year
  20. pitch — completely
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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