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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. last — final
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pitch — completely
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. last — finally
  9. court — of law
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. last — to go on
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bore — to drill
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. key — in music
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bore — to tire

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