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

Word bank: march · plane · suit · cell · field · court · kick · toast

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. suit — clothes
  3. march — the month
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. court — of a king
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. march — music
  8. cell — in biology
  9. field — farmland
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kick — in football
  12. field — for sport
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. field — a subject
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cell — a phone
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. toast — bread
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. suit — to fit
  24. kick — with a leg

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