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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: can · field · perch · calf · court · stand · coach · file

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. field — farmland
  3. file — a document
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. file — a tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. file — a line of people
  12. field — for sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. can — to be able to
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — a tin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. court — of law
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. calf — of the leg
  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