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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: firm · net · season · court · swing · temple · ball · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. court — of a king
  3. pound — a weight
  4. ball — a great time
  5. court — of law
  6. swing — to play on
  7. net — for catching
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. firm — decided
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. net — after costs
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. court — for sport
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. firm — a company
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. firm — steady
  23. ball — a dance
  24. net — in sport

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