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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 120 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tear — to rip
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. court — for sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. field — farmland
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tear — from crying
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. field — for sport
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — of a king
  17. suit — clothes
  18. field — a subject
  19. board — a committee
  20. court — of law
  21. board — to get on
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. suit — in cards
  24. tear — from crying

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