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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 · staff · prune · bound · court · board · suit · saw

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. court — of a king
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bound — obliged
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. staff — a stick
  9. prune — to trim
  10. court — of law
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. staff — employees
  13. board — a committee
  14. bound — tied together
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. court — for sport
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. staff — employees
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bound — certain
  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