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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: firm · tube · rash · court · suit · net · saw · board

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. suit — clothes
  4. board — to get on
  5. court — of a king
  6. suit — in cards
  7. tube — a container
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — to fit
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. court — of law
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. saw — the tool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. firm — a company
  17. rash — a series
  18. board — a committee
  19. court — for sport
  20. net — in sport
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. net — for catching
  24. rash — hasty

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