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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 116 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: bore · band · row · object · track · mate · racket · court

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. row — a line
  3. court — of a king
  4. mate — a friend
  5. track — a song
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bore — to tire
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bore — to drill
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. object — a thing
  15. mate — to breed
  16. court — of law
  17. object — an aim
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. track — a path
  22. court — for sport
  23. object — to protest
  24. mate — a partner

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