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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 120 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
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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: track · court · firm · craft · ground · rest · bulb · wave

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ground — crushed
  3. track — to keep track
  4. firm — a company
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. court — for sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. court — of a king
  9. craft — a skill
  10. track — a song
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ground — a position
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. firm — decided
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. firm — steady
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. court — of law
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rest — a break
  23. craft — boats
  24. rest — what's left

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