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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: pitch · bowl · court · game · hide · press · fork · racket

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pitch — completely
  3. court — of a king
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. game — a match
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. press — a publisher
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. press — newspapers
  22. game — wild animals
  23. press — to push
  24. fork — to eat with

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