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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: race · net · band · court · perch · wave · mug · fine

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. race — humankind
  4. mug — to rob
  5. net — after costs
  6. band — a music group
  7. mug — a face
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fine — all right
  10. race — the arms race
  11. net — in sport
  12. perch — the fish
  13. court — of law
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — for sport
  17. race — a contest
  18. court — of a king
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. band — a ring
  21. net — for catching
  22. fine — high quality
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. band — a rubber band

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