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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.

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: toast · fall · file · court · season · fine · foot · charge

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. court — of a king
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. file — a tool
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. season — in sport
  8. fall — the season
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. charge — a price
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. file — a document
  16. court — of law
  17. toast — bread
  18. foot — a measure
  19. court — for sport
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fine — high quality
  24. file — a line of people

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