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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: racket · court · hide · wind · perch · pit · can · bound

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pit — a hole
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — a tin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bound — obliged
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. can — a tin
  11. perch — the fish
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bound — certain
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. bound — tied together
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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