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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. board — a committee
  3. object — a thing
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. field — for sport
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. board — to get on
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. foot — a measure
  14. court — of law
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. court — for sport
  17. stem — to come from
  18. object — an aim
  19. field — a subject
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. field — farmland
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. court — of a king

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