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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.

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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: mark · lean · court · deal · bass · mate · leaves · last

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. mate — to breed
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. last — to go on
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bass — the fish
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. deal — to handle
  16. court — for sport
  17. mate — a partner
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bass — low music
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mate — a friend
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. mark — to pay attention

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