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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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468
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: racket · court · ruler · fan · net · bowl · stem · mouse

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. court — of a king
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. court — for sport
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. court — of law
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stem — to come from
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. net — for catching
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. net — after costs
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fan — a supporter

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