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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fine · ground · deal · court · race · hide · rule · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. race — humankind
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. race — a contest
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. race — the arms race
  9. court — of law
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rule — a law
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. court — for sport
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fine — high quality
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rule — government
  21. deal — to handle
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — of a king
  24. pitcher — a jug

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