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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 · court · branch · mug · plane · present · swing · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. mug — to rob
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. court — of a king
  6. snap — to click
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. swing — in golf
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stand — to bear
  15. plane — a tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. mug — a face
  18. swing — to play on
  19. branch — a division
  20. court — for sport
  21. swing — music
  22. court — of law
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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