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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: pitch · court · nail · pitcher · march · present · fork · leaves

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. present — a gift
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. march — the month
  7. present — the time now
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. present — there
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. court — of law

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