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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. club — for golf
  3. bound — certain
  4. court — of a king
  5. lean — thin
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. court — of law
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bound — obliged
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. court — for sport
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. club — a group
  22. swing — music
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lean — to rest against

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