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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: track · pitch · deal · season · pitcher · foot · perch · court

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. court — of law
  4. track — a song
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. track — to keep track
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. track — a path
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. deal — to handle
  20. foot — a measure
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pitcher — a jug

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