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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
468
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: club · fine · court · prune · ground · straw · nail · cap

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cap — a hat
  4. court — for sport
  5. club — for dancing
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. court — of a king
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ground — a position
  12. club — a group
  13. ground — the earth
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. fine — all right
  17. court — of law
  18. fine — high quality
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cap — a lid
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. club — for golf
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ground — crushed

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