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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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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: pound · track · hand · mug · rule · board · date · court

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. court — for sport
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. mug — a cup
  6. hand — help
  7. mug — a face
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. court — of law
  10. track — a song
  11. date — the fruit
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. court — of a king
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rule — a law
  22. pound — a weight
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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