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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. object — to protest
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. season — of the year
  8. saw — the tool
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rock — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. court — of a king
  16. object — an aim
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rock — a stone
  20. object — a thing
  21. court — of law
  22. pitch — completely
  23. season — in sport
  24. safe — out of danger

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