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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: dip · net · foot · court · shower · content · rule · kick

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. dip — to sink
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. net — for catching
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. court — for sport
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. net — in sport
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. content — happy
  16. foot — a measure
  17. net — after costs
  18. shower — to wash
  19. court — of a king
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. court — of law
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. shower — rain
  24. content — the amount

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