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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: mug · ground · court · rock · cold · object · cabinet · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ground — the earth
  8. object — to protest
  9. mate — a friend
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. object — an aim
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. object — a thing
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. court — of a king
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — an illness
  24. rock — a stone

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