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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: court · saw · mine · wake · cap · net · season · staff

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. saw — the tool
  3. staff — a stick
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. season — in sport
  7. cap — a lid
  8. net — in sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mine — for digging
  12. staff — employees
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. court — for sport
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. season — of the year
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cap — of ice
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. court — of law
  23. staff — employees
  24. wake — before a funeral

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