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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: track · court · press · temple · chip · fine · foot · fork

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. foot — a measure
  4. fine — all right
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. court — of a king
  8. press — a publisher
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. press — newspapers
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fine — high quality
  15. track — to keep track
  16. chip — for betting
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. track — a song
  19. court — for sport
  20. track — a path
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fork — in a road
  23. press — to push
  24. fork — to eat with

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