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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 · season · court · key · stem · wake · squash · mug

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mug — a cup
  3. ground — crushed
  4. season — in sport
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wake — a trail
  7. key — in music
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. court — for sport
  10. stem — to come from
  11. court — of law
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. season — of the year
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mug — a face
  16. squash — to crush
  17. court — of a king
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mug — to rob
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. ground — a position
  23. key — the most important part
  24. squash — the sport

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