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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. march — the month
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. current — electric
  5. field — for sport
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. board — a committee
  12. current — happening now
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. current — of water
  16. court — of law
  17. field — farmland
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. court — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. march — music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. board — to get on

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