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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 · foot · lie · degree · net · straw · deal · court

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. court — of law
  3. firm — steady
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. foot — a measure
  7. court — of a king
  8. degree — from a university
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. degree — temperature
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. net — after costs
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. deal — to handle
  15. firm — a company
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. firm — decided
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. court — for sport
  22. degree — an amount
  23. net — in sport
  24. straw — dry grass

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