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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 120 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
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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: land · court · fine · mouse · fan · ball · bowl · tube

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. court — for sport
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. land — a country
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fine — high quality
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — all right
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. land — to come down
  20. tube — a container
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mouse — for a computer

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