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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: stand · jam · present · court · charge · cap · net · plane

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. cap — a lid
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. net — for catching
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. court — of a king
  9. charge — a price
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. present — a gift
  14. net — in sport
  15. court — of law
  16. charge — electricity
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. net — after costs
  19. charge — in control
  20. court — for sport
  21. present — there
  22. cap — a hat
  23. present — the time now
  24. plane — a tool

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