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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: stand · nail · mug · ground · bay · spring · roll · court

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. court — of law
  3. stand — to bear
  4. court — for sport
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mug — a cup
  7. roll — a list
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. court — of a king
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mug — a face
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spring — the season
  20. ground — a position
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. ground — crushed

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