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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: hand · pit · land · court · mug · pitch · snap · craft

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. court — of a king
  4. land — to come down
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. land — ground
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pitch — completely
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. land — a country
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. craft — boats
  23. hand — help
  24. snap — to click

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