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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 120 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: ground · mark · court · fork · rule · temple · racket · track

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. court — of a king
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. track — a path
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. ground — the earth
  9. track — to keep track
  10. court — of law
  11. rule — a law
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. court — for sport
  16. track — a song
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rule — government
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. racket — a loud noise

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