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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.

Words on the sheet
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: court · mark · racket · net · bore · saw · deal · pit

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bore — to tire
  3. saw — the tool
  4. net — in sport
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. saw — the tool
  9. net — after costs
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mark — a grade
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. court — of law
  19. net — for catching
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mark — a trace
  23. deal — to handle
  24. court — for 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