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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · file · court · row · spell · stand · wave · jam

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. row — a line
  5. spell — letters
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. file — a tool
  9. spell — a short time
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. file — a document
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. file — a line of people
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. spell — magic
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stand — to bear
  23. court — of a king
  24. stand — on your feet

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