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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. court — of law
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. capital — a city
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stock — goods
  15. court — of a king
  16. capital — money
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. court — for sport
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. track — a path
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. track — to keep track
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stock — shares

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