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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.

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: capital · field · deal · coach · court · net · arm · cue

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. deal — to handle
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cue — a signal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. field — for sport
  10. net — in sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. court — for sport
  17. capital — a city
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. capital — money
  20. court — of law
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. net — after costs
  23. field — a subject
  24. net — for catching

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