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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ground — a position
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cue — a hint
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. cue — a signal
  18. net — for catching
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pitch — completely
  22. kick — in football
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. court — of law

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