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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: land · bowl · ball · court · pitch · deal · chair · hide

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pitch — completely
  6. ball — a dance
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. land — ground
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. court — for sport
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ball — a great time
  18. land — a country
  19. court — of law
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. land — to come down
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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