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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 · row · court · mate · nail · staff · object · ground

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. court — for sport
  4. mate — to breed
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. object — a thing
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bound — certain
  9. ground — crushed
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ground — a position
  12. staff — employees
  13. court — of law
  14. staff — a stick
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. court — of a king
  17. ground — the earth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — a partner
  20. staff — employees
  21. bound — obliged
  22. object — to protest
  23. row — a line
  24. bound — tied together

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