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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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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 · face · rule · prune · bear · pound · track · temple

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. track — a song
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. prune — to trim
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. face — to confront
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pound — a weight
  15. court — of a king
  16. track — a path
  17. court — for sport
  18. rule — government
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. track — to keep track

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