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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: sharp · cabinet · pass · season · roll · court · pitch · hide

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pass — a permit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. court — of law
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. court — of a king
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. court — for sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. roll — a list
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. season — in sport
  24. roll — a cake

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