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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 120 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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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: court · stick · cell · fork · fine · cabinet · season · drill

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. court — for sport
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. drill — army training
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. drill — the tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. drill — a practice
  14. court — of a king
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. season — in sport
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fork — in a road
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fine — all right
  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