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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 120 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 · club · lie · field · rush · can · court · stand

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. pass — a permit
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. field — for sport
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. court — of a king
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. club — a group
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lie — to recline
  17. can — a tin
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. club — for golf
  24. stand — for spectators

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