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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: ball · mug · stand · hand · current · ground · wind · last

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. last — to go on
  3. mug — a cup
  4. current — of water
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. ground — a position
  8. current — happening now
  9. hand — help
  10. wind — moving air
  11. current — electric
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. last — final
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ground — crushed
  21. last — finally
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wind — moving air
  24. hand — in cards

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