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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 116 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: rock · tube · pit · mug · sharp · fork · pitch · court

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pit — a hole
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rock — music
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. court — for sport
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mug — a face
  18. court — of law
  19. fork — in a road
  20. court — of a king
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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