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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 120 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: lie · hand · racket · pitcher · court · leaves · club · ground

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. court — of law
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. court — of a king
  5. club — for dancing
  6. ground — crushed
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. club — a group
  12. lie — to recline
  13. hand — help
  14. ground — a position
  15. club — for golf
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. court — for sport
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lie — an untruth

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