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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: suit · court · squash · prune · bowl · bound · dip · shower

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. suit — in cards
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. prune — to trim
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bound — tied together
  16. court — for sport
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. squash — the sport
  21. suit — to fit
  22. court — of a king
  23. prune — to trim
  24. suit — clothes

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