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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: foot · court · mark · date · ball · capital · fork · ruler

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. capital — money
  13. mark — a grade
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. court — of a king
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. foot — a measure
  18. capital — a city
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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