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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: drill · charge · suit · content · wake · track · ball · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wake — a trail
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. content — the amount
  11. ball — a great time
  12. charge — a price
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. court — for sport
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. drill — the tool
  23. content — happy
  24. suit — clothes

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