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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: jam · hide · pass · court · bass · field · ground · roll

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. court — of a king
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. field — for sport
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bass — the fish
  10. field — a subject
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. field — farmland
  13. ground — a position
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. roll — a list
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bass — low music
  24. pass — a permit

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