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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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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: leaves · stand · bowl · spell · court · mug · file · mark

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. spell — magic
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mark — a grade
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. spell — a short time
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. spell — letters
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. court — for sport
  20. mug — a face
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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