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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: pop · stand · dip · court · charge · ground · hand · mouse

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. court — of a king
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. ground — the earth
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pop — soda
  11. charge — in control
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. court — of law
  15. pop — music
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. ground — crushed
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. ground — a position
  24. dip — to sink

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