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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: cap · stick · fork · board · court · mug · coach · ground

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. board — a committee
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. court — of a king
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. court — for sport
  14. board — to get on
  15. cap — a lid
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. court — of law
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ground — crushed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mug — a face
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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