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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 · object · bay · rash · mouse · pitch · court · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. court — for sport
  7. rash — a series
  8. pitch — completely
  9. object — to protest
  10. court — of a king
  11. present — there
  12. wake — a trail
  13. court — of law
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. object — a thing
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. present — a gift
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. present — the time now
  24. object — an aim

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