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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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 law
  3. object — a thing
  4. court — for sport
  5. staff — employees
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. object — to protest
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fine — all right
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ball — a great time
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pitch — completely
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. object — an aim
  22. rule — government
  23. court — of a king
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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