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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 120 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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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 · rest · firm · bay · bound · wave · charge · perch

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. charge — in control
  2. bound — tied together
  3. court — of law
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. charge — a price
  9. firm — a company
  10. court — for sport
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bound — certain
  16. firm — decided
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. court — of a king
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. firm — steady
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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