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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: season · last · fine · straw · bass · court · firm · press

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. last — to go on
  5. firm — steady
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. season — of the year
  9. fine — all right
  10. court — for sport
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. last — finally
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fine — high quality
  18. last — final
  19. bass — the fish
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. bass — low music
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. court — of law

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