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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 · rush · kick · bass · field · court · pass · ball

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. field — farmland
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stand — to bear
  8. kick — in football
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. court — of a king
  11. bass — low music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. court — for sport
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. field — a subject
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pass — a permit
  21. court — of law
  22. field — for sport
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pass — to succeed

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