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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.

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: court · bat · lie · fine · pound · perch · net · suit

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. court — of law
  3. fine — all right
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. court — for sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — after costs
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pound — a weight
  11. net — in sport
  12. bat — the animal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. net — for catching
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  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