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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 120 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: last · field · rule · fine · kick · cue · court · track

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rule — government
  3. kick — in football
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cue — a signal
  6. court — of a king
  7. last — finally
  8. field — farmland
  9. court — of law
  10. track — to keep track
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. last — final
  13. field — for sport
  14. rule — a law
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. track — a path
  17. fine — all right
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. track — a song
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fine — high quality
  23. field — a subject
  24. last — to go on

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