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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 116 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 · bay · pitch · craft · chair · pound · saw · pass

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. chair — a leader
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. craft — boats
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pitch — completely
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chair — a professorship

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