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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: key · date · mouse · bound · racket · firm · rest · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rest — what's left
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bound — certain
  8. rest — what's left
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bound — tied together
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. court — for sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. firm — decided
  16. date — the fruit
  17. firm — steady
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. firm — a company
  24. rest — a break

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