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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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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: tube · current · fall · net · ball · rest · court · mark

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rest — a break
  3. court — of law
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. court — for sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fall — the season
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ball — a dance
  20. net — after costs
  21. court — of a king
  22. mark — a grade
  23. net — in sport
  24. current — electric

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