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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 120 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: object · pitcher · snap · content · net · fine · plane · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. net — after costs
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. plane — a tool
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. content — the amount
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. court — of law
  16. fine — high quality
  17. net — in sport
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fine — all right
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. court — for sport
  22. snap — to click
  23. net — for catching
  24. content — happy

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