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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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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: mark · firm · court · net · pass · squash · wake · band

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mark — a grade
  3. court — for sport
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. firm — steady
  7. squash — to crush
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. firm — a company
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. band — a music group
  17. mark — a trace
  18. net — for catching
  19. court — of a king
  20. band — a ring
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. firm — decided
  24. court — of law

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