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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
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: mug · field · mate · coach · calf · court · present · fork

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mug — a cup
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mug — a face
  8. fork — in a road
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. present — the time now
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mate — to breed
  15. court — of law
  16. mug — to rob
  17. court — for sport
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. field — farmland
  24. mate — a friend

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