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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
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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: net · ruler · root · court · track · pit · game · field

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. field — for sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pit — a hole
  12. game — a match
  13. root — the cause
  14. field — a subject
  15. root — of a word
  16. net — in sport
  17. court — of law
  18. net — after costs
  19. track — a path
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. field — farmland
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. root — of a plant
  24. game — a kind of play

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