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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. kid — child
  7. can — to be able to
  8. court — of law
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pitch — completely
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. suit — to fit
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. suit — in cards
  23. kid — to tease
  24. suit — clothes

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