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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: drill · fan · cell · staff · coach · mug · ground · court

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. cell — in biology
  4. ground — a position
  5. drill — the tool
  6. court — of law
  7. drill — army training
  8. court — of a king
  9. staff — employees
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. drill — a practice
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cell — a phone
  15. staff — employees
  16. mug — to rob
  17. staff — a stick
  18. court — for sport
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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