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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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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: tear · court · mark · rush · track · ruler · field · leaves

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. field — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. court — for sport
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tear — to rip
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mark — a grade
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. field — a subject
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rush — hurry
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. court — of a king
  22. mark — a trace
  23. field — farmland
  24. rush — a thrill

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