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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · charge · court · tube · jam · foot · fall · present

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. charge — a price
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. tube — the underground
  7. field — a subject
  8. tube — a container
  9. court — of law
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. charge — electricity
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. field — farmland
  16. fall — the season
  17. present — a gift
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. field — for sport
  20. fall — to drop
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. charge — in control
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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