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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 120 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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. court — of a king
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. present — the time now
  7. bank — of a river
  8. present — a gift
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bank — for money
  11. present — there
  12. field — farmland
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bank — for money
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. field — a subject
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. court — of law
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lash — to lash out
  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