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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 · straw · can · mine · net · deal · cap · cabinet

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. court — for sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. court — of law
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. can — to be able to
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. can — a tin
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — after costs
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mine — for digging
  22. court — of a king
  23. cap — of ice
  24. can — a tin

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