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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: pass · fine · shower · season · dip · stem · court · toast

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. court — for sport
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. season — in sport
  8. toast — bread
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. season — of the year
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. dip — to sink
  17. court — of a king
  18. fine — high quality
  19. shower — rain
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fine — all right
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stem — to come from
  24. court — of law

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