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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: bowl · foot · net · straw · wind · fine · rock · racket

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fine — high quality
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. net — after costs
  10. wind — moving air
  11. net — in sport
  12. fine — all right
  13. net — for catching
  14. wind — moving air
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rock — music
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rock — to move gently

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