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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: season · court · object · lash · rest · pitch · fine · stem

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fine — high quality
  3. object — a thing
  4. season — in sport
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. court — for sport
  7. pitch — completely
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. object — to protest
  14. court — of a king
  15. rest — what's left
  16. object — an aim
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rest — a break
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stem — of a plant

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