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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: pound · fine · game · ground · court · bay · fork · toast

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. court — of law
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. ground — a position
  5. game — a match
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. court — for sport
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pound — a weight
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ground — the earth
  22. court — of a king
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fine — all right

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