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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: court · rush · racket · plane · track · tube · hand · ruler

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. hand — help
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. tube — the underground
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. court — of a king
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. track — a song
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rush — hurry
  11. court — of law
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. court — for sport
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. track — to keep track
  24. tube — a container

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