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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: bulb · lie · field · current · wake · tube · pass · court

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. field — farmland
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bulb — for light
  6. field — a subject
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. current — happening now
  9. court — of a king
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. lie — to recline
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. field — for sport
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bulb — for light

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