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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: suit · fork · net · hide · ruler · degree · wound · court

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. court — of law
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wound — an injury
  8. degree — temperature
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — for catching
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. suit — clothes
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fork — in a road
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. net — in sport

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