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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: firm · board · court · field · lie · kick · pit · capital

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. field — for sport
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. capital — a city
  5. firm — decided
  6. pit — a hole
  7. kick — in football
  8. firm — a company
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lie — to recline
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. court — of law
  13. board — to get on
  14. court — of a king
  15. capital — money
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. field — a subject
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. field — farmland
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. firm — steady
  23. kick — a thrill
  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