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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.

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: cabinet · scale · stand · ground · rest · bowl · court · fan

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. court — of law
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rest — what's left
  5. scale — in music
  6. rest — a break
  7. court — for sport
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ground — a position
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ground — the earth
  23. court — of a king
  24. stand — on your feet

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