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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: court · track · prune · rock · board · hide · fork · rule

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. board — to get on
  4. rule — government
  5. rock — music
  6. rule — a law
  7. board — a committee
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. track — to keep track
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. track — a path
  14. court — of law
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. track — a song
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rock — a stone
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. prune — to trim
  24. court — of a king

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