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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 116 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: suit · pop · bound · charge · court · bear · object · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. object — to protest
  3. bound — tied together
  4. charge — a price
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bear — the animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pop — music
  10. net — after costs
  11. bear — the animal
  12. object — an aim
  13. charge — in control
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. object — a thing
  19. court — of a king
  20. pop — soda
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pop — to visit
  24. suit — in cards

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