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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rest · saw · stand · chair · pop · court · wave

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. court — for sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pop — soda
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pop — music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. season — in sport
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. court — of law
  15. season — of the year
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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