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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: fork · net · press · court · hand · suit · ground · scale

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. ground — a position
  5. fork — in a road
  6. hand — in cards
  7. press — newspapers
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. suit — clothes
  10. net — after costs
  11. press — to push
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. net — in sport
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. net — for catching
  17. suit — to fit
  18. court — for sport
  19. press — a publisher
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. court — of law
  23. ground — the earth
  24. hand — help

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