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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. board — a committee
  4. key — in music
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. board — to get on
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. spell — magic
  9. field — a subject
  10. vault — a safe
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. field — farmland
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. racket — for tennis

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