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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · racket · court · saw · game · fork · trunk · coach

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. game — wild animals
  3. track — to keep track
  4. court — of a king
  5. track — a path
  6. saw — the tool
  7. court — of law
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. court — for sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. game — a match
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fork — in a road
  16. saw — the tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. track — a song
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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