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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: game · court · face · track · chip · ground · vault · rash

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. track — a song
  3. court — for sport
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. game — wild animals
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rash — a series
  13. track — a path
  14. face — to confront
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. game — a match
  19. rash — hasty
  20. face — to point toward
  21. track — to keep track
  22. face — part of the head
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. chip — to eat

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