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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: present · stand · wound · game · stem · jam · rock · court

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. present — a gift
  5. court — for sport
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. court — of law
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wound — an injury
  11. court — of a king
  12. stand — to bear
  13. present — the time now
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. present — there
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rock — music
  22. game — a match
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. game — wild animals

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