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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
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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: club · current · land · fall · wake · toast · lean · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. current — happening now
  3. wake — a trail
  4. court — of a king
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. club — for golf
  8. current — electric
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. court — for sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. club — for dancing
  16. current — of water
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fall — the season
  19. club — a group
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. lean — thin

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