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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. track — a song
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. court — of a king
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. track — a path
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cap — a lid
  13. court — of law
  14. cap — a hat
  15. shower — rain
  16. stand — to bear
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bore — to tire
  19. court — for sport
  20. cap — of ice
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bore — to drill

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