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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: pitcher · swing · pit · ground · court · ball · tear · kick

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. swing — music
  6. tear — to rip
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. ground — a position
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ball — a great time
  11. court — for sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. swing — to play on
  15. court — of a king
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ground — crushed
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. ball — a dance
  21. kick — in football
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. court — of law

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