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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 · cell · march · court · pass · mug · coach · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. court — for sport
  5. mug — a face
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pass — a permit
  8. march — music
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. spring — of water
  13. court — of law
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. march — the month
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. march — the month
  21. mug — to rob
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. court — of a king
  24. cell — a phone

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