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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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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: race · racket · rule · mouse · court · pit · capital · track

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. track — a song
  3. race — the arms race
  4. court — of law
  5. track — a path
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. court — of a king
  12. rule — government
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. capital — a city
  15. pit — in a race
  16. race — humankind
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. court — for sport
  19. rule — a law
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. race — a contest

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