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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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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: staff · trunk · dip · net · stand · ruler · court · ground

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. staff — a stick
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ground — crushed
  6. staff — employees
  7. net — in sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. dip — to sink
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stand — to bear
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. net — after costs
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. ground — a position
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. dip — a sauce

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