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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · racket · bulb · wind · court · present · ground · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. present — there
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. present — the time now
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — moving air
  16. board — to get on
  17. ground — crushed
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. present — a gift
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bound — tied together
  23. court — for sport
  24. bulb — for light

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