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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: track · mouse · club · lie · fan · court · march · jam

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. track — a path
  6. club — a group
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. club — for golf
  12. march — the month
  13. court — of a king
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. court — of law
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — the month
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. march — music
  21. lie — to recline
  22. track — a song
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. court — for sport

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