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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: pitcher · season · can · foot · bound · plane · court · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. court — for sport
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bound — tied together
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. can — to be able to
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bound — obliged
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. court — of law
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. foot — a measure
  20. can — a tin
  21. bound — certain
  22. season — of the year
  23. court — of a king
  24. season — in sport

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