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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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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: ground · stand · dip · board · fork · game · court · fine

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fork — in a road
  4. court — of law
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stand — to bear
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ground — a position
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. game — a match
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. board — a committee
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. board — to get on
  18. court — for sport
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. fine — all right
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ground — the earth

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