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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. charge — a price
  3. field — for sport
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bank — of a river
  6. staff — employees
  7. court — of law
  8. field — farmland
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bank — for money
  12. staff — employees
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — in control
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stand — to bear
  17. staff — a stick
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. charge — electricity
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. field — a subject

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