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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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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. season — in sport
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. toast — bread
  11. cue — for pool
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rock — music
  14. court — of law
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cue — a signal

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