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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: mug · court · rock · club · lie · ground · saw · field

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mug — a cup
  3. ground — a position
  4. rock — a stone
  5. court — of law
  6. rock — music
  7. mug — a face
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. court — of a king
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mug — to rob
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ground — the earth
  15. field — a subject
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. field — farmland
  18. club — a group
  19. field — for sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ground — crushed
  22. saw — the tool
  23. club — for golf
  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