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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: court · racket · mug · vault · rule · rush · track · cap

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. court — of law
  3. vault — a safe
  4. track — a path
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rule — a law
  7. mug — to rob
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mug — a face
  13. court — for sport
  14. track — to keep track
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mug — a cup
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. track — a song
  21. court — of a king
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rule — government
  24. cap — of ice

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