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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 116 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: stand · mine · wound · tear · hand · deal · mouse · court

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. court — of law
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. court — of a king
  9. hand — in cards
  10. tear — to rip
  11. hand — help
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. court — for sport
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wound — an injury
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wound — an injury
  24. deal — an agreement

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