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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: row · net · bowl · fork · rock · mug · court · vault

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. mug — a face
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rock — music
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. court — for sport
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. net — for catching
  14. fork — in a road
  15. row — a line
  16. mug — to rob
  17. vault — a safe
  18. court — of a king
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bowl — a dish
  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