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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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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: stand · spring · court · pop · rush · rash · plane · present

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pop — music
  4. rash — a series
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rush — hurry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. spring — of water
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. pop — to visit
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. court — for sport
  16. rash — hasty
  17. spring — a coil
  18. court — of law
  19. present — there
  20. spring — the season
  21. court — of a king
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pop — soda

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