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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. net — in sport
  2. court — for sport
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. lean — thin
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. net — after costs
  13. mine — for digging
  14. net — for catching
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. court — of a king
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bat — the animal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mark — a trace
  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