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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 · court · field · plane · ball · coach · leaves · object

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. object — to protest
  9. court — for sport
  10. ball — a great time
  11. field — for sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ball — a dance
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. object — an aim
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. object — a thing
  21. court — of law
  22. field — farmland
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. field — a subject

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