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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 120 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
468
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: pit · mark · bowl · court · chair · bound · fan · root

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. root — of a plant
  7. court — for sport
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pit — in a race
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. court — of a king
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. root — of a word
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. root — the cause
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. court — of law
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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