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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. court — of law
  4. rock — a stone
  5. march — the month
  6. court — for sport
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stock — shares
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. court — of a king
  11. march — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stock — goods
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. march — the month
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. field — for sport

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