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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: fine · game · mouse · pop · court · track · ruler · current

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. track — a song
  4. game — wild animals
  5. current — of water
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pop — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. track — a path
  11. fine — high quality
  12. current — electric
  13. fine — all right
  14. game — a match
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. track — to keep track
  20. court — of a king
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pop — soda
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. current — happening now

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