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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: hide · fine · mug · stand · net · court · field · calf

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mug — to rob
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. court — of a king
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fine — all right
  11. court — for sport
  12. mug — a cup
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mug — a face
  16. court — of law
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. net — in sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. net — for catching
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stand — to bear
  23. field — for sport
  24. fine — high quality

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