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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 116 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: bound · bulb · cabinet · rock · row · game · bass · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bass — low music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. court — of law
  9. row — a line
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bound — tied together
  12. court — for sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rock — music
  15. bound — certain
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bass — the fish
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cabinet — ministers

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