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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: bear · bound · court · spell · fine · mark · roll · chest

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chest — a box
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mark — a trace
  7. spell — letters
  8. roll — a list
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. court — for sport
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. spell — magic
  19. roll — a cake
  20. court — of a king
  21. bound — certain
  22. bear — the animal
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. chest — of your body

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