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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: content · court · fork · temple · pass · track · ball · mate

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. court — of a king
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. track — to keep track
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ball — a dance
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ball — a great time
  13. track — a song
  14. pass — a permit
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. court — for sport
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mate — a partner
  22. court — of law
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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