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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · coach · bowl · degree · court · mark · key · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. key — in music
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. field — farmland
  8. degree — temperature
  9. court — of law
  10. field — for sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. court — of a king
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. court — for sport
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. lean — to bend
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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