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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · pop · pound · bound · cap · court · bowl · chair

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. court — for sport
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. court — of a king
  5. pop — soda
  6. bound — tied together
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pop — to visit
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bound — certain
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pop — music
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. court — of law

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