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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: drill · spell · court · pitch · bat · coach · club · present

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. present — the time now
  3. bat — the animal
  4. club — a group
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. drill — a practice
  7. club — for golf
  8. spell — letters
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. present — there
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. present — a gift
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. court — of law
  15. drill — army training
  16. court — for sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. club — for dancing
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pitch — completely
  21. court — of a king
  22. spell — magic
  23. drill — the tool
  24. spell — a short time

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