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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: rush · fine · court · bound · capital · snap · suit · face

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bound — obliged
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rush — hurry
  6. suit — in cards
  7. snap — to click
  8. court — for sport
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. court — of law
  18. bound — certain
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. capital — money
  23. bound — tied together
  24. face — to point toward

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