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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: court · patient · toast · spell · bound · fine · deal · suit

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bound — certain
  3. court — of a king
  4. spell — a short time
  5. court — for sport
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bound — obliged
  10. spell — letters
  11. fine — all right
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. suit — clothes
  14. deal — to handle
  15. toast — bread
  16. suit — in cards
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fine — high quality
  19. court — of law
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bound — tied together
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. spell — magic

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