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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: present · mug · net · roll · mark · court · mate · pitch

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mug — a face
  5. present — the time now
  6. net — after costs
  7. mate — to breed
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mug — a cup
  10. roll — a list
  11. net — in sport
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. court — of a king
  15. present — a gift
  16. net — for catching
  17. court — of law
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. court — for sport
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mug — to rob
  22. present — there
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mark — a trace

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