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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: ball · rest · court · bound · foot · root · bank · chair

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. court — of a king
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. court — of law
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bank — for money
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rest — a break
  11. bank — of a river
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. ball — a dance
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — certain
  18. court — for sport
  19. root — the cause
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bank — for money
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chair — a leader
  24. root — of a word

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