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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · craft · board · field · jam · coach · straw · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. court — for sport
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. field — farmland
  9. court — of law
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. field — a subject
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. court — of a king
  24. field — for sport

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