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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 116 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 · face · bulb · net · shower · ball · fork · suit

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. face — to confront
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. net — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. court — for sport
  8. shower — rain
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bulb — for light
  17. court — of law
  18. ball — a great time
  19. shower — to wash
  20. court — of a king
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. suit — to fit
  24. net — after costs

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