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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · plane · cell · spring · court · pass · bound · ground

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cell — in biology
  3. spring — the season
  4. court — of law
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. court — for sport
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bound — obliged
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spring — a coil
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bound — certain
  18. spring — of water
  19. ground — a position
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. court — of a king
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ground — crushed

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