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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.

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: pass · court · suit · straw · racket · plane · field · ground

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. plane — a tool
  3. field — farmland
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ground — a position
  7. pass — a permit
  8. suit — to fit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. field — a subject
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. suit — in cards
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. court — of a king
  20. ground — crushed
  21. court — of law
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ground — the earth
  24. field — for sport

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