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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: cap · court · club · perch · mark · bound · wound · safe

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bound — tied together
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bound — obliged
  9. court — for sport
  10. bound — certain
  11. court — of law
  12. club — a group
  13. court — of a king
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cap — of ice
  20. club — for dancing
  21. perch — the fish
  22. club — for golf
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mark — a trace

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