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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 116 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: wake · straw · cap · can · deal · court · pass · bound

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. can — a tin
  3. court — for sport
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. court — of law
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. court — of a king
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cap — a lid
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cap — a hat
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bound — certain
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wake — a trail

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