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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 · court · race · racket · fine · board · pitcher · fork

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fine — all right
  3. fork — in a road
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mug — to rob
  6. board — to get on
  7. mug — a face
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. race — humankind
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fine — high quality
  15. court — for sport
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mug — a cup
  18. board — a committee
  19. court — of a king
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. court — of law

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