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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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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pit — in a race
  6. row — a line
  7. perch — the fish
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. pit — a hole
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. row — to paddle
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. club — a group
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. club — for golf
  19. chip — for betting
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. club — for dancing
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bound — tied together

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