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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.

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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: stand · fine · foot · trunk · lean · court · cap · mate

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fine — all right
  3. lean — thin
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mate — to breed
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. court — of a king
  11. cap — a lid
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lean — to bend
  14. court — for sport
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mate — a friend
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cap — of ice

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