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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: straw · pitch · court · season · suit · sharp · bore · shower

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. shower — to wash
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. court — of a king
  8. season — in sport
  9. bore — to tire
  10. suit — to fit
  11. sharp — clever
  12. season — of the year
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. court — of law
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. shower — rain
  19. suit — clothes
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. court — for sport
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bore — to drill

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