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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: rule · foot · squash · bulb · court · dip · chair · net

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — of a king
  4. net — in sport
  5. squash — the sport
  6. foot — a measure
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. net — after costs
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rule — a law
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — for catching
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. court — for sport
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chair — a leader
  23. court — of law
  24. rule — government

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