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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: field · court · object · band · foot · stem · lean · trunk

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. court — for sport
  4. band — a ring
  5. object — to protest
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. field — a subject
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. court — of law
  13. band — a music group
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stem — to come from
  17. field — farmland
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. foot — a measure
  20. field — for sport
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. object — a thing
  23. lean — thin
  24. object — an aim

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