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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: bowl · fork · coach · wake · court · march · lean · staff

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. lean — thin
  3. fork — in a road
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. march — the month
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wake — a trail
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. march — music
  15. staff — employees
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. staff — employees
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. court — for sport
  21. lean — to bend
  22. court — of law
  23. march — the month
  24. staff — a stick

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