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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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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: foot · press · row · wind · wave · bound · court · pit

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pit — a hole
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bound — tied together
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wind — moving air
  13. court — of a king
  14. row — a line
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. court — for sport
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. court — of law
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bound — certain

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