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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.

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: lean · ground · rest · chair · season · fine · land · deal

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — the earth
  4. land — ground
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. season — of the year
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fine — all right
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ground — crushed
  14. season — in sport
  15. lean — thin
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ground — a position
  18. lean — to bend
  19. land — a country
  20. fine — high quality
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rest — a break
  23. land — to come down
  24. chair — a leader

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