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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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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: lie · club · pitch · bear · court · firm · stem · saw

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. firm — steady
  6. club — for golf
  7. stem — to come from
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. saw — the tool
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. club — a group
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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