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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: bowl · roll · jam · pit · bass · mark · court · bound

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. court — of a king
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. court — of law
  8. bass — low music
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mark — a grade
  14. roll — a list
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mark — a trace
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. court — for sport
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pit — in a race
  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