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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 · bound · lie · stem · object · perch · content · court

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stem — to come from
  3. court — of a king
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. court — for sport
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. object — a thing
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. object — an aim
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bound — certain
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. content — happy
  16. object — to protest
  17. content — the amount
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. court — of law
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bowl — to roll

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