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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: ground · ball · stand · bay · drill · kid · rule · court

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. drill — a practice
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. drill — army training
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. court — of a king
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rule — a law
  11. court — of law
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stand — to bear
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. court — for sport
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rule — government
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. rule — to rule out

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