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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 116 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: court · bowl · track · race · ground · can · fine · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fine — all right
  3. court — of law
  4. track — to keep track
  5. can — a tin
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. track — a path
  12. ground — crushed
  13. can — a tin
  14. ground — a position
  15. track — a song
  16. court — for sport
  17. race — humankind
  18. court — of a king
  19. fine — high quality
  20. race — a contest
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bowl — a football final

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