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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: spell · safe · suit · toast · season · band · court · stem

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. band — a music group
  3. court — of law
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stem — to come from
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. season — in sport
  12. spell — letters
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. court — for sport
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. court — of a king
  21. season — of the year
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. band — a ring

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