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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: suit · field · cold · lie · date · court · stand · staff

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cold — not warm
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. field — a subject
  6. court — of a king
  7. suit — in cards
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stand — to bear
  10. staff — employees
  11. suit — to fit
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. court — for sport
  15. suit — clothes
  16. court — of law
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. staff — employees
  19. field — for sport
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. field — farmland
  22. cold — an illness
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cold — the Cold War

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