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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: snap · drill · court · track · net · mark · fine · bound

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. drill — a practice
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. track — to keep track
  5. net — in sport
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. track — a path
  9. bound — obliged
  10. track — a song
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bound — certain
  13. drill — army training
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. net — for catching
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. net — after costs
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fine — high quality
  21. court — of a king
  22. fine — all right
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bound — tied together

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