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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: swing · file · stand · season · present · spring · court · plane

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. present — there
  3. court — of law
  4. swing — in golf
  5. present — a gift
  6. spring — of water
  7. plane — a tool
  8. court — for sport
  9. swing — music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. present — the time now
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. season — of the year
  16. file — a document
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. swing — to play on
  19. file — a tool
  20. stand — to bear
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. court — of a king
  24. season — in 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