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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: arm · bound · pitch · straw · leaves · court · ball · pit

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. ball — a dance
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. court — of law
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pitch — completely
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. court — of a king
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bound — obliged
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bound — certain
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. court — for sport

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