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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: board · ruler · field · bear · court · foot · key · cap

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cap — a hat
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. key — for a lock
  8. field — farmland
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cap — of ice
  11. court — of law
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bear — the animal
  14. field — a subject
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. board — to get on
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bear — the animal
  20. foot — a measure
  21. court — for sport
  22. field — for sport
  23. key — in music
  24. board — a committee

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