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

Word bank: stand · cell · court · toast · capital · bound · roll · row

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bound — certain
  4. court — of a king
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. court — for sport
  7. capital — money
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. toast — bread
  11. row — a line
  12. roll — a cake
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. roll — a list
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. court — of law
  20. capital — a city
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cell — a phone
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. roll — on a roll

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