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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.

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: track · chair · court · ruler · rush · fine · present · squash

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. track — a path
  5. court — for sport
  6. present — the time now
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fine — high quality
  9. track — to keep track
  10. court — of a king
  11. track — a song
  12. present — there
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. squash — the sport
  15. court — of law
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fine — all right
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. squash — the vegetable

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