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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: bound · rule · game · pit · field · board · court · mark

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. field — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. board — to get on
  7. bound — certain
  8. game — wild animals
  9. board — a committee
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. court — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. court — of law
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pit — in a race
  23. field — farmland
  24. game — a kind of play

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