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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: bay · pitch · court · stand · coach · pop · land · pit

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pop — soda
  3. court — of law
  4. pitch — completely
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pop — to visit
  16. land — ground
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. land — to come down
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. land — a country
  24. pop — music

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