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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · season · chair · court · stock · calf · rush · toast

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. season — of the year
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. toast — bread
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. court — of law
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. present — there
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. season — in sport
  22. rush — hurry
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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