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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: court · ball · kick · cap · temple · bay · pitch · board

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ball — a great time
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. board — a committee
  12. kick — in football
  13. cap — a hat
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cap — of ice
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. court — of law
  22. cap — a lid
  23. board — to get on
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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