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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. firm — decided
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. court — for sport
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. court — of law
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. firm — a company
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. court — of a king
  13. stock — goods
  14. firm — steady
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. stock — shares
  24. fan — to cool the air

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