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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: court · game · kick · field · can · coach · calf · mug

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. court — of law
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mug — a face
  11. field — farmland
  12. mug — to rob
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. mug — a cup
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. court — of a king
  19. field — for sport
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. kick — in football
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. court — 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