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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: rush · bay · track · scale · fine · court · rule · calf

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. scale — size or range
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rule — a law
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fine — all right
  13. rule — government
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. court — of law
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. court — for sport
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fine — high quality
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. court — of a king
  24. scale — in music

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