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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: saw · object · court · foot · nail · rock · net · kick

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. net — in sport
  5. foot — a measure
  6. court — for sport
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. object — a thing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. net — after costs
  18. rock — music
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. net — for catching
  21. court — of a king
  22. kick — in football
  23. nail — on a finger
  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