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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.

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: field · coach · arm · court · mouse · bat · leaves · club

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. court — of law
  4. club — for dancing
  5. court — for sport
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. club — for golf
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. club — a group
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bat — the animal
  15. field — for sport
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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