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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.

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: net · track · chair · court · bear · mouse · bowl · arm

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. court — for sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. net — after costs
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. track — a path
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bear — the animal
  22. net — in sport
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. chair — to sit on

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