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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · spell · perch · cue · field · fan · court · board

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cue — for pool
  5. perch — the fish
  6. field — a subject
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. court — of law
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. court — of a king
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. field — for sport
  16. spell — magic
  17. field — farmland
  18. spell — letters
  19. cue — a hint
  20. board — a committee
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. board — to get on
  23. cue — a signal
  24. perch — for a bird

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