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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: ground · object · court · tear · jam · season · cell · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. ground — a position
  4. tear — to rip
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cell — in biology
  8. season — of the year
  9. object — a thing
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. object — to protest
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. object — an aim
  17. court — of a king
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. season — in sport
  22. cell — a phone
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for 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