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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 · court · spring · track · can · lie · sharp · current

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. track — a path
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. current — happening now
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. court — of a king
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — the season
  11. track — a song
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. current — of water
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pass — a permit
  17. track — to keep track
  18. current — electric
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. spring — of water
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — of law
  24. spring — a coil

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