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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. court — of a king
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. squash — to crush
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. court — of law
  8. ground — the earth
  9. object — a thing
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. object — an aim
  17. court — for sport
  18. squash — the sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ground — crushed
  21. object — to protest
  22. ground — a position
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. straw — dry grass

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