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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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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: track · stand · bank · tear · plane · court · pit · lie

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. track — a song
  5. bank — for money
  6. court — for sport
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. track — a path
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stand — to bear
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pit — a hole
  24. track — to keep track

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