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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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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: bay · pitch · wake · bat · court · roll · temple · bear

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bat — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. court — of law
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wake — a trail
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. court — of a king
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bear — the animal
  21. roll — a list
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. court — for sport
  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