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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: kick · leaves · pound · cue · ground · roll · stand · court

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. roll — a list
  3. court — of law
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cue — a hint
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. roll — a cake
  11. court — for sport
  12. cue — for pool
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cue — a signal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ground — crushed
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ground — a position
  19. stand — to bear
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. court — of a king
  23. pound — a weight
  24. roll — on a roll

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