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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: fine · mark · field · mine · track · charge · court · coach

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. court — for sport
  12. mine — for digging
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — a song
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. field — a subject
  17. fine — all right
  18. field — farmland
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. track — to keep track
  21. court — of a king
  22. field — for sport
  23. track — a path
  24. mark — a grade

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