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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 120 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
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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: bear · pitch · cabinet · trunk · court · foot · rash · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rash — a series
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bear — the animal
  15. foot — a measure
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cue — a signal
  24. foot — part of the body

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