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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: court · net · drill · object · fine · firm · mug · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. net — in sport
  3. object — a thing
  4. court — for sport
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fine — all right
  7. court — of law
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mug — to rob
  10. firm — a company
  11. object — an aim
  12. court — of a king
  13. mug — a face
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mug — a cup
  16. firm — steady
  17. drill — army training
  18. firm — decided
  19. drill — a practice
  20. object — to protest
  21. net — after costs
  22. drill — the tool
  23. net — for catching
  24. fine — a penalty

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