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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: field · chair · court · leaves · pit · saw · stock · perch

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. saw — the tool
  5. field — a subject
  6. court — of law
  7. field — farmland
  8. court — for sport
  9. field — for sport
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pit — a hole
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — a leader
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. perch — the fish

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