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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 124 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. court — of law
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cap — a lid
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. land — to come down
  15. mug — to rob
  16. court — for sport
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mug — a cup
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mug — a face
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. court — of a king

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