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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 · pop · mark · swing · lean · net · suit · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. net — after costs
  3. pop — to visit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pop — soda
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pop — music
  11. swing — music
  12. net — in sport
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mark — a grade
  18. court — for sport
  19. mark — a trace
  20. court — of law
  21. swing — in golf
  22. court — of a king
  23. net — for catching
  24. suit — in cards

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