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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.

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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: bowl · court · firm · pitch · present · rock · temple · bay

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. bowl — a dish
  2. court — of law
  3. pitch — completely
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. court — of a king
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. present — there
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. firm — steady
  12. rock — music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. court — for sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. firm — a company
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rock — a stone
  20. present — the time now
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. firm — decided
  23. present — a gift
  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