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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: hide · content · field · court · racket · cap · board · mug

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. field — for sport
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. board — to get on
  6. court — of law
  7. field — a subject
  8. cap — a hat
  9. field — farmland
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mug — a cup
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. court — of a king
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. court — for sport
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hide — to keep secret

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