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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: court · shower · foot · pit · track · bound · board · toast

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bound — certain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. board — to get on
  9. bound — tied together
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. board — a committee
  13. track — a song
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. pit — in a race
  17. shower — rain
  18. toast — bread
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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