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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mark — a grade
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. court — for sport
  7. bore — to tire
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. tube — a container
  11. court — of law
  12. capital — a city
  13. staff — employees
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bore — to drill
  20. court — of a king
  21. staff — a stick
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. capital — money

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