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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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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: season · foot · court · cap · staff · squash · leaves · face

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. season — in sport
  3. face — to confront
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. court — of law
  6. cap — a hat
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cap — of ice
  10. face — part of the head
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. staff — employees
  14. court — of a king
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. foot — a measure
  19. face — to point toward
  20. staff — a stick
  21. court — for sport
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cap — a lid
  24. season — of the year

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