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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 120 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: stand · pop · nail · mate · fan · pitcher · court · chip

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pop — music
  20. chip — to eat
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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