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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: stock · last · court · bowl · lie · net · present · bound

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. present — the time now
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. present — a gift
  7. court — for sport
  8. last — to go on
  9. stock — goods
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. net — for catching
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. last — finally
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. present — there
  18. stock — shares
  19. court — of law
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. last — final
  23. court — of a king
  24. net — after costs

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