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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: saw · key · pitcher · object · pitch · cap · stand · court

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. court — of law
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cap — a hat
  7. object — to protest
  8. key — in music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. object — a thing
  11. court — for sport
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. object — an aim
  16. cap — a lid
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pitch — completely
  22. saw — the tool
  23. court — of a king
  24. cap — of ice

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