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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 120 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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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: tear · mouse · net · content · stand · court · present · fine

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. present — there
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stand — to bear
  5. court — for sport
  6. content — the amount
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. present — a gift
  11. fine — all right
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. net — after costs
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. content — happy
  19. net — for catching
  20. present — the time now
  21. court — of law
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. court — of a king
  24. tear — to rip

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