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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: dip · pitch · racket · leaves · fork · bear · court · ground

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. court — for sport
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. court — of a king
  8. ground — the earth
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. court — of law
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. ground — crushed
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. ground — a position
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pitch — completely
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bear — to put up with

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