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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · present · can · degree · court · pitch · game · rock

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. present — there
  3. rock — a stone
  4. can — a tin
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — temperature
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. court — of a king
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rock — music
  14. tube — a container
  15. court — for sport
  16. degree — an amount
  17. present — a gift
  18. court — of law
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. game — a match
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pitch — completely
  23. present — the time now
  24. degree — from a university

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