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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: file · pitch · court · ball · bass · mark · club · leaves

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. court — of law
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. mark — a grade
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mark — a trace
  10. court — of a king
  11. club — for dancing
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. club — a group
  20. court — for sport
  21. file — a document
  22. club — for golf
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mark — to pay attention

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