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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: court · pop · season · stand · chair · cap · drill · bay

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. drill — the tool
  4. court — for sport
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pop — to visit
  7. season — of the year
  8. court — of a king
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stand — to bear
  12. court — of law
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chair — a leader
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. season — in sport

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