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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: mine · hide · ball · march · staff · stand · court · bulb

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. court — for sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. court — of law
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. court — of a king
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. staff — employees
  24. march — the month

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