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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.

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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: pitch · present · leaves · court · bowl · straw · capital · firm

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. present — there
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. court — for sport
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. firm — decided
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. present — a gift
  19. firm — a company
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. firm — steady
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pitch — completely
  24. leaves — lets stay

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