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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 116 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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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: court · present · pitch · racket · bound · fall · ruler · rush

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — certain
  5. court — for sport
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bound — tied together
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. present — there
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. present — the time now
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fall — to drop
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. present — a gift
  24. fall — to drop

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