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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: hide · mouse · ground · bear · rush · rash · ball · court

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. court — of a king
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. court — for sport
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rash — a series
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ground — a position
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. court — of law
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rash — hasty

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