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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. staff — employees
  5. stem — to come from
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. season — of the year
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. court — for sport
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. court — of a king
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rush — hurry
  24. staff — employees

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