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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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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: sharp · bound · track · court · row · dip · suit · fall

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. court — for sport
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fall — the season
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. row — to paddle
  7. suit — in cards
  8. track — a song
  9. sharp — clever
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fall — to drop
  14. row — a line
  15. track — to keep track
  16. suit — to fit
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fall — to drop
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. bound — certain
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bound — obliged

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