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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: ball · key · pitch · court · chair · hide · bat · wax

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. court — of a king
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — the animal
  13. court — of law
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. ball — a great time
  17. key — in music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. key — for a lock
  24. court — for sport

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