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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. season — of the year
  3. cap — a lid
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. season — in sport
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. firm — steady
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cap — a hat
  11. court — of a king
  12. firm — a company
  13. cap — of ice
  14. branch — a division
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. court — for sport
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. firm — decided

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