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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fine — all right
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mark — a grade
  7. court — for sport
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. face — to confront
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. firm — decided
  18. mark — a trace
  19. season — in sport
  20. court — of law
  21. firm — steady
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. firm — a company
  24. mark — to pay attention

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