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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. current — happening now
  5. pitch — completely
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — clever
  8. current — of water
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. club — a group
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. current — electric
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. court — of a king
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. court — of law
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rush — hurry
  24. club — for golf

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