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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: march · jam · plane · band · stand · stem · mouse · kick

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. band — a ring
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. march — the month
  10. band — a music group
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. march — the month
  18. plane — a tool
  19. march — music
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stem — to come from
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. kick — in football
  24. stand — to bear

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