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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: bat · court · chip · coach · wave · pitch · key · nail

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. key — for a lock
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. key — the most important part
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. court — for sport
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. court — of law
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. chip — for betting
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. key — in music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chip — to eat

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