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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 120 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: ground · current · bound · hand · mark · bowl · mouse · court

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. current — of water
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. hand — in cards
  7. current — electric
  8. court — for sport
  9. ground — a position
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. current — happening now
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hand — help
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bound — certain
  21. court — of a king
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. court — of law

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