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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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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 · key · cell · rest · bore · court · jam · mouse

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. court — for sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. court — of a king
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bore — to tire
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. court — of law
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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