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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: season · bat · file · suit · stand · root · calf · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. file — a tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. season — in sport
  5. root — the cause
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. suit — clothes
  11. court — of law
  12. suit — in cards
  13. file — a line of people
  14. court — of a king
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. root — of a word
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. file — a document
  21. suit — to fit
  22. season — of the year
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. season — to add flavour

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