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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 120 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: lash · ground · calf · pop · court · season · board · stand

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pop — music
  8. court — of a king
  9. board — to get on
  10. stand — to bear
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. season — in sport
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pop — soda
  19. court — of law
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. court — for sport
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. season — of the year

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