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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: tube · field · court · current · mark · lie · stick · lean

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. tube — a container
  3. lean — thin
  4. field — a subject
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. current — electric
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mark — a grade
  12. field — for sport
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. field — farmland
  16. tube — the underground
  17. current — of water
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. court — for sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. current — happening now
  23. court — of law
  24. lie — an untruth

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