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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fine · season · kid · coach · suit · perch

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. court — of a king
  5. season — in sport
  6. kid — to tease
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fine — all right
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. court — for sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — high quality
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. season — of the year
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. court — of law
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. perch — for a bird

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