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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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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: stem · court · stand · cap · march · fine · rush · bank

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stem — to come from
  5. court — for sport
  6. rush — hurry
  7. court — of a king
  8. march — music
  9. bank — for money
  10. court — of law
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cap — a hat
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bank — for money
  23. fine — all right
  24. stem — of a plant

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