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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: leaves · stick · track · wound · court · pop · board · rock

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pop — soda
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. court — of law
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. court — of a king
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. court — for sport
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pop — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. track — a song
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. board — to get on
  18. pop — to visit
  19. board — a committee
  20. wound — an injury
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rock — music
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rock — a stone

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