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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: spring · court · calf · club · plane · present · cabinet · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. court — of a king
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. present — there
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. club — for golf
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. court — for sport
  11. present — a gift
  12. spring — the season
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spring — of water
  15. pitch — completely
  16. present — the time now
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. club — for dancing
  20. court — of law
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. club — a group
  24. cabinet — ministers

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