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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: spring · mug · season · toast · pitch · mate · stand · court

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. court — for sport
  3. season — in sport
  4. toast — bread
  5. mate — a friend
  6. spring — of water
  7. court — of law
  8. pitch — completely
  9. court — of a king
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mug — a face
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spring — the season
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. stand — to bear
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. season — of the year
  24. mate — a partner

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