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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. scale — in music
  4. toast — bread
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. court — of a king
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bank — for money
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. season — in sport
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bank — for money
  16. court — for sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. scale — size or range
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. pitch — completely
  22. court — of law
  23. season — of the year
  24. stand — for spectators

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