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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: plane · land · stand · court · hand · nail · rock · press

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rock — music
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. court — of law
  8. land — a country
  9. rock — a stone
  10. court — of a king
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. land — to come down
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. plane — a tool
  19. land — ground
  20. press — to push
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stand — to bear
  24. court — for sport

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