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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: roll · tube · leaves · court · bear · pitch · kid · deal

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. tube — a container
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. deal — to handle
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. kid — child
  14. pitch — completely
  15. tube — the underground
  16. roll — a cake
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. court — for sport
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. leaves — of a tree

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