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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: date · chair · fork · court · track · ground · mark · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. ground — the earth
  4. court — of a king
  5. track — a path
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. track — to keep track
  8. foot — a measure
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mark — a trace
  14. date — the fruit
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. ground — a position
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. court — of law
  20. chair — a leader
  21. track — a song
  22. mark — a grade
  23. court — for sport
  24. ground — crushed

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