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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. court — of a king
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bear — the animal
  9. court — of law
  10. field — for sport
  11. court — for sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. field — farmland
  16. stand — to bear
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. field — a subject
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. trunk — of a car

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