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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: foot · court · mate · land · bound · suit · present · mine

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. court — of a king
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mate — to breed
  5. present — a gift
  6. land — to come down
  7. suit — in cards
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bound — obliged
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mate — a partner
  16. land — ground
  17. present — there
  18. mate — a friend
  19. land — a country
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. present — the time now
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mine — for digging

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