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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 120 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
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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: tube · pitch · racket · bound · mate · bowl · spring · court

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. spring — the season
  5. bound — certain
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pitch — completely
  11. tube — a container
  12. court — for sport
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spring — of water
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bound — tied together
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. mate — a friend
  24. racket — for tennis

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