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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 · ruler · court · field · trunk · game · press · safe

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. press — newspapers
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. field — a subject
  5. ground — the earth
  6. court — of law
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. field — farmland
  9. court — for sport
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — a match
  16. court — of a king
  17. press — to push
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. field — for sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ground — crushed
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. press — a publisher
  24. trunk — of a car

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