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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.

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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: pitch · mug · court · band · mark · board · drill · jam

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pitch — completely
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. court — of law
  9. board — a committee
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mark — a trace
  13. drill — the tool
  14. band — a ring
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mark — a grade
  18. band — a music group
  19. mug — a cup
  20. board — to get on
  21. drill — army training
  22. court — of a king
  23. mug — to rob
  24. band — a rubber band

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