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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: hand · spring · fan · fork · court · ball · firm · mug

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. court — of law
  4. firm — decided
  5. spring — the season
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. court — for sport
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. court — of a king
  11. spring — of water
  12. mug — a cup
  13. ball — a dance
  14. hand — help
  15. firm — steady
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mug — to rob
  18. firm — a company
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mug — a face
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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