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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
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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: club · wave · jam · pitch · leaves · fan · court · field

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. court — of a king
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. court — for sport
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pitch — completely
  10. club — for golf
  11. field — a subject
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. field — farmland
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. court — of law
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. club — a group
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. field — for sport
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wave — of the sea

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