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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. firm — decided
  3. lean — thin
  4. firm — steady
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. court — of a king
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. firm — a company
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. tube — a container
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mark — a grade

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