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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. court — of law
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kick — in football
  9. season — of the year
  10. spring — a coil
  11. season — in sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. board — to get on
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. court — for sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. court — of a king
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. season — to add flavour

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