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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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 — for sport
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. court — of a king
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — of law
  8. spell — magic
  9. plane — a tool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mate — to breed
  13. deal — to handle
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mate — a partner
  16. season — of the year
  17. spell — letters
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bear — the animal
  21. season — in sport
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. plane — in geometry
  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