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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: court · board · deal · pitch · field · suit · pitcher · squash

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. suit — in cards
  8. court — of law
  9. field — a subject
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. suit — to fit
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. deal — to handle
  19. squash — the sport
  20. suit — clothes
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. board — to get on
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. board — a committee

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