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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · ground · bay · squash · court · bass · leaves · coach

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. ground — a position
  2. mark — a trace
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bass — low music
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. court — for sport
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bass — the fish
  15. court — of a king
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. court — of law
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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