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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: court · roll · ground · jam · hide · cabinet · patient · lean

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ground — the earth
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. court — of a king
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lean — thin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. ground — a position
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. lean — to bend
  19. roll — a list
  20. court — of law
  21. ground — crushed
  22. roll — a cake
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. jam — in traffic

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