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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: pass · pitch · bowl · ground · present · court · bore · face

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. present — there
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. face — to point toward
  8. court — of a king
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. court — for sport
  12. present — a gift
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bore — to drill
  17. present — the time now
  18. face — to confront
  19. court — of law
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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