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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. court — of law
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. court — for sport
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. season — of the year
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. court — of a king
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fine — all right
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mate — a partner
  16. sharp — clever
  17. object — to protest
  18. stand — to bear
  19. object — a thing
  20. season — in sport
  21. object — an aim
  22. fine — high quality
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bore — to tire

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