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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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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ground — a position
  5. shower — rain
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. court — of law
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. band — a ring
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. ground — crushed
  21. band — a music group
  22. ground — the earth
  23. tube — a container
  24. bowl — a football final

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