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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 · board · saw · racket · cabinet · current · court · leaves

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. board — to get on
  4. current — electric
  5. court — of law
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. current — happening now
  8. court — of a king
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. current — of water
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. board — a committee
  14. court — for sport
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. saw — the tool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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