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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: toast · court · season · object · fine · stem · lash · tube

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. object — an aim
  3. season — of the year
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. season — in sport
  8. object — to protest
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. court — of law
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. court — for sport
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stem — to come from
  19. tube — a container
  20. object — a thing
  21. toast — bread
  22. court — of a king
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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