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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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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: bowl · pass · court · bulb · sharp · spring · bound · club

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pass — a permit
  9. club — for golf
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. spring — a coil
  17. club — for dancing
  18. court — of a king
  19. club — a group
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. spring — of water
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. spring — the season

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