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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
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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: court · cue · cabinet · stick · pit · saw · bound · season

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cue — for pool
  13. season — in sport
  14. bound — certain
  15. court — of a king
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cue — a signal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pit — in a race
  22. season — of the year
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pit — a hole

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