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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: wake · chair · court · mug · spell · jam · season · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. court — of law
  3. spell — a short time
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mug — to rob
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wake — a trail
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. season — in sport
  14. mug — a face
  15. spell — letters
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. spell — magic
  21. court — for sport
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. season — of the year
  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