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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. court — of law
  2. pitch — completely
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. vault — a safe
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mug — a face
  9. court — of a king
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. court — for sport
  23. pound — a weight
  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