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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 120 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: fork · stick · arm · court · can · pass · pitch · bore

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bore — to tire
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. court — of law
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bore — to drill
  13. can — a tin
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. court — of a king
  16. fork — in a road
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. can — a tin

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