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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: suit · game · stand · court · season · scale · hide · coach

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. court — of law
  3. suit — in cards
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. court — of a king
  6. season — in sport
  7. game — a match
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. scale — in music
  12. court — for sport
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. season — of the year
  16. stand — to bear
  17. scale — size or range
  18. suit — to fit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. suit — clothes
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. scale — for weighing

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