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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · mug · court · date · mark · stand · bay · cap

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mug — a face
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. date — on the calendar

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