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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cue — a hint
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. capital — money
  12. cue — for pool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. perch — the fish
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rash — hasty
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — to breed
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. capital — a city
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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