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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: bay · last · fan · race · track · charge · court · ball

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. charge — in control
  3. court — for sport
  4. ball — a dance
  5. race — a contest
  6. ball — a great time
  7. charge — a price
  8. court — of law
  9. race — the arms race
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. last — finally
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. race — humankind

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