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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.

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: court · pitch · march · rest · bulb · calf · spell · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. court — for sport
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. spell — magic
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bulb — for light
  9. march — the month
  10. pitch — completely
  11. spell — letters
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. march — music
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. spell — a short time
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rest — a break
  19. bulb — for light
  20. court — of law
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rest — what's left
  23. court — of a king
  24. calf — a young animal

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