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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: stand · bound · nail · ground · cue · temple · season · racket

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. season — of the year
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stand — to bear
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bound — certain
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cue — for pool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cue — a hint
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. ground — crushed
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. season — in 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