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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: sharp · stand · ground · mug · court · track · shower · cap

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mug — a cup
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. court — of a king
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mug — a face
  10. court — of law
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cap — of ice
  20. court — for sport
  21. track — a song
  22. cap — a lid
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ground — a position

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