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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.

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: stand · cabinet · court · season · kid · rock · dip · tube

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. court — for sport
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tube — the underground
  6. court — of law
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. season — of the year
  10. court — of a king
  11. dip — to sink
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stand — to bear
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. tube — a container
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kid — child

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