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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · rock · row · pitch · ground · lash · key · court

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. key — for a lock
  3. row — a line
  4. court — for sport
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. ground — a position
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. ground — crushed
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pitch — completely
  15. court — of a king
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rock — a stone
  18. court — of law
  19. key — in music
  20. rock — music
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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