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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of law
  3. pitch — completely
  4. board — to get on
  5. present — there
  6. board — a committee
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cap — a hat
  15. court — of a king
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. can — a tin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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