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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: foot · court · firm · net · fork · shower · row · ruler

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. firm — decided
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. net — for catching
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. net — in sport
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. row — to paddle
  11. firm — steady
  12. court — of law
  13. shower — to wash
  14. net — after costs
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. firm — a company
  18. court — of a king
  19. row — a line
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. shower — rain

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