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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: court · fan · net · pop · suit · chip · lie · rule

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. net — for catching
  3. pop — to visit
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rule — government
  6. net — after costs
  7. chip — to eat
  8. net — in sport
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pop — soda
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — music
  20. court — for sport
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. court — of law
  23. lie — to recline
  24. chip — for betting

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