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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 · toast · bound · stand · stem · mug · fall · bowl

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — certain
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stem — to come from
  13. court — of a king
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fall — the season
  21. mug — a face
  22. toast — bread
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stem — of a plant

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