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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: march · field · stand · court · fine · trunk · face · can

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — to confront
  5. court — of a king
  6. stand — to bear
  7. field — for sport
  8. court — for sport
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. march — the month
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. field — a subject
  13. fine — all right
  14. march — the month
  15. can — to be able to
  16. face — part of the head
  17. march — music
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — farmland
  22. court — of law
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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