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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.

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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: court · hide · net · object · cap · mouse · stick · fine

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. court — of a king
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. object — an aim
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — for catching
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. object — to protest
  12. fine — high quality
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. object — a thing
  17. fine — all right
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. court — for sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cap — a lid

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