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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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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: pass · mug · tear · court · lean · bass · fine · field

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. field — a subject
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lean — thin
  8. bass — low music
  9. court — of law
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fine — all right
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lean — to bend
  20. court — for sport
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mug — a face

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