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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · object · track · court · land · fork · mouse · foot

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fork — in a road
  4. land — a country
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. object — to protest
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. object — a thing
  11. land — ground
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. foot — a measure
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. court — for sport
  17. object — an aim
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. track — a song
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. land — to come down

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