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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · hide · pitch · toast · court · capital

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. 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. court — for sport
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. court — of a king
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. capital — a city
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. capital — money
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pitch — completely
  17. toast — bread
  18. 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