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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: deal · court · fine · bowl · band · object · leaves · net

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. court — of a king
  5. net — for catching
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. object — a thing
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. net — in sport
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. band — a ring
  13. net — after costs
  14. court — for sport
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. object — an aim
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. fine — all right
  20. object — to protest
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. band — a music group
  24. court — of law

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