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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.

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: rule · perch · pitch · court · lean · fine · spring · clip

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. spring — of water
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fine — high quality
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. spring — the season
  15. fine — all right
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. clip — a video
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. perch — the fish
  21. court — for sport
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. clip — to cut

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