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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 116 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: band · hide · ground · charge · bay · bank · swing · court

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. band — a ring
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ground — a position
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ground — crushed
  9. charge — in control
  10. bank — for money
  11. swing — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. charge — electricity
  15. court — of law
  16. band — a music group
  17. court — for sport
  18. bank — of a river
  19. charge — a price
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — of a king
  24. hide — to keep secret

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