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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. row — to paddle
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. court — of law
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pit — in a race
  7. row — a line
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. bound — certain
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. court — for sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. court — of a king
  19. pit — a hole
  20. game — a match
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. degree — temperature
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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