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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ground — a position
  4. court — of law
  5. pass — a permit
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ground — crushed
  9. can — a tin
  10. stem — to come from
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stand — to bear
  15. swing — in golf
  16. ground — the earth
  17. can — a tin
  18. court — of a king
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. swing — music
  24. can — to be able to

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