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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bound — certain
  3. date — the fruit
  4. firm — decided
  5. object — a thing
  6. court — of a king
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. object — to protest
  10. firm — steady
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. firm — a company
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. net — after costs
  18. bear — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bear — the animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. court — of law

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