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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 116 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 · wind · firm · craft · mug · net · fork · ball

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. mug — a face
  6. fork — in a road
  7. firm — steady
  8. mug — to rob
  9. craft — boats
  10. firm — decided
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. ball — a great time
  13. firm — a company
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wind — moving air
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. net — after costs
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. court — of law
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ball — a dance
  24. court — of a king

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