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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: swing · pound · temple · bulb · court · pitch · fine · sharp

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pound — a weight
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. court — for sport
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. court — of a king
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fine — all right
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. sharp — clever
  17. swing — music
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pitch — completely
  21. swing — in golf
  22. court — of law
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bulb — for light

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