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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 120 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: face · coach · rush · board · march · trunk · field · court

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. march — the month
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rush — hurry
  5. march — music
  6. field — farmland
  7. board — a committee
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. court — for sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. field — for sport
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. march — the month
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. field — a subject
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. coach — a trainer

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