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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 120 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. court — of law
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fall — the season
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bass — low music
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. court — for sport
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. court — of a king
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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