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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: court · date · object · cue · nail · bound · wave · fall

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. court — for sport
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — a hint
  8. court — of law
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cue — for pool
  16. object — an aim
  17. cue — a signal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. court — of a king
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. object — to protest
  23. bound — obliged
  24. date — the fruit

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