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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: court · ground · shower · hide · craft · land · safe · pound

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. court — of a king
  3. ground — a position
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. land — to come down
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. shower — rain
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — of law
  12. land — ground
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. land — a country
  15. pound — a weight
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. ground — crushed
  18. craft — a skill
  19. court — for sport
  20. craft — boats
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. safe — out of danger

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