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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 116 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: tube · pit · game · spell · bound · track · season · court

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pit — in a race
  6. tube — the underground
  7. track — a path
  8. bound — obliged
  9. track — a song
  10. game — wild animals
  11. court — of a king
  12. track — to keep track
  13. court — of law
  14. tube — a container
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. season — of the year
  18. court — for sport
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. game — a match
  22. season — in sport
  23. spell — a short time
  24. game — a kind of play

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