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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: suit · present · saw · court · key · bat · bound · can

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. present — the time now
  5. can — to be able to
  6. suit — clothes
  7. present — there
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. court — of law
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bound — tied together
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bat — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. present — a gift
  24. can — a tin

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