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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: net · stick · court · fine · mine · chest · mate · squash

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. squash — the sport
  3. court — of law
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fine — all right
  8. mate — a partner
  9. court — for sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mate — to breed
  13. net — in sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chest — a box
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mate — a friend
  20. net — after costs
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. chest — of your body
  23. court — of a king
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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