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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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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. season — of the year
  3. court — of a king
  4. degree — an amount
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stand — to bear
  11. court — of law
  12. season — in sport
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bank — for money
  15. degree — from a university
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. degree — temperature
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. court — for sport

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