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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mate — a partner
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rock — music
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. track — a path
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rule — a law
  18. mate — a friend
  19. court — of a king
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. court — for sport
  24. track — a song

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