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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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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 · stand · safe · net · ball · squash · band · lean

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. net — in sport
  3. band — a music group
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. net — for catching
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lean — thin
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. net — after costs
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ball — a great time
  18. squash — the sport
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. lean — to bend
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. court — of law

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