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

Word bank: pitch · present · court · fall · club · bowl

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. club — for golf
  8. fall — the season
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. club — a group
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fall — to drop
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  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