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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.

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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: court · nail · fine · stand · pitcher · ground · mate · degree

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. degree — from a university
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. court — for sport
  13. degree — an amount
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — a friend
  16. court — of law
  17. fine — all right
  18. court — of a king
  19. ground — a position
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mate — a partner

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