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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: march · foot · ground · bound · jam · board · present · court

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. march — the month
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bound — certain
  6. march — music
  7. present — a gift
  8. march — the month
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. foot — a measure
  11. present — the time now
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bound — obliged
  14. court — for sport
  15. present — there
  16. board — a committee
  17. ground — a position
  18. court — of law
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. board — to get on
  21. bound — tied together
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. court — of a king
  24. board — a flat piece

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