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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: court · hide · pit · mug · degree · bank · stand · pitcher

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pit — a hole
  5. degree — an amount
  6. court — of a king
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — for money
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stand — to bear
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. court — of law
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mug — a face
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bank — for money
  24. mug — a cup

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