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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: hand · drill · hide · pop · jam · court · rock · club

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. club — a group
  4. court — of a king
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. drill — army training
  8. pop — to visit
  9. drill — a practice
  10. club — for golf
  11. drill — the tool
  12. hand — help
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rock — music
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rock — a stone

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