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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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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: pound · court · staff · kick · pit · coach · ground · ball

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pit — in a race
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. staff — employees
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. ground — crushed
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pit — a hole
  13. ball — a dance
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ground — the earth
  20. kick — in football
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pound — a weight
  24. court — of law

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