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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 · stand · mug · clip · coach · cap · mark · court

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cap — of ice
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. court — for sport
  10. clip — to cut
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mug — a face
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. ground — crushed
  17. court — of a king
  18. stand — to bear
  19. court — of law
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ground — a position
  24. mug — to rob

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