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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: fine · band · fork · object · court · net · foot · board

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. court — of a king
  3. band — a music group
  4. net — after costs
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. court — of law
  10. net — for catching
  11. board — to get on
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. object — to protest
  16. net — in sport
  17. object — an aim
  18. foot — a measure
  19. court — for sport
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. board — a committee
  23. fork — in a road
  24. object — a thing

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