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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cap — a hat
  9. court — of a king
  10. perch — the fish
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. court — for sport
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stand — to bear

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